Collingwood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd

Early 1900s and Wartime 

Collingwood Shipbuilding, operating out of Collingwood, Ontario, built and launched many vessels in the early 1900s. It appears that most of these ships were intended for trade (e.g. on the Great Lakes) or transport rather than for military purposes, although some ships were co-opted for the war effort. A 1902 newspaper advertisement (announcing issued capital) cited grain and ore shipping as an important source of demand [1] Only in 1918 did the Imperial Munitions Board and the Royal Navy first buy ships from Collingwood, in the form of freighters and minesweepers, respectively. One of Collingwood’s most notable deals in this period was with the Imperial Oil Company, based in Sarnia, Ontario. Imperial Oil bought a total of 5 oil carriers from the shipbuilding company, starting with Royalite in 1916, followed by Iocolite, Sarnolite, Reginolite and finally Talaralite in 1918. In 1916, the company’s capital was worth 1.5 million dollars, and in that year its ownership changed hands.[2]

[1] COLLINGWOOD SHIPBUILDING CO. (1902, Aug 16). The Globe (1844-1936) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1353732902?accountid=8612

[2] Special Despatch to, T. G. (1916, Dec 07). COLLINGWOOD SHIPBUILDING COMPANY CHANGES HANDS. The Globe (1844-1936) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1366145987?accountid=8612


Royalite, A Special Ship

Royalite, launced on Dec. 15, 1915 [3], was the first tanker to be built in Canada. Later named the Imperial Welland, she had a lengthy career of 49 years before being scrapped in 1965. She was originally intended for trade on the Great Lakes, but was used in WW1 on the East Coast, and even made a few trips across the Atlantic in that period. [4] 

[3] Special Despatch to, T. G. (1915, Dec 16). OIL CARRIER LAUNCHED AT COLLINGWOOD YARD. The Globe (1844-1936) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1356195358?accountid=8612


Collingwood Shipbuilding Honor Roll

‡ Killed in Action             * Wounded             † Discharged                        ¶ Missing            

Chaplain W. Barfoot

*Lieut. E. Walker

Sergt.-Maj. Ernest Ridgeway

*C.S.M. Chas. E. Bellamy

†C.S.M. Wm. F. Turner

*Sergt. H.T. McDonald

Sergt. T. Mitchell      

*Sergt. L. Carmichael

Sergt. W. Brophy

Sergt. Jas. Stockley

Sergt. Wm. Brooker

*Sergt. Wm. Mirrless

Sergt. Fred. Macdonald

Sergt. Robert Whitelaw

‡Sergt. Gordon Cameron

Sergt. Howard Hughes

Corp. Wilfred Foulis

Corp. Ed. Gibson

Corp. Fred. J. Mason

*Corp. Chas. MacDonald

Corp. Joseph Smith

*Corp. W. Hollingshead

Corp. G.H. Ridgeway

*Corp. Allan Carmichael Military Medal

‡Corp. Alex. McLeod

Lce.-Cpl. Andrew McQueen

Lce.-Cpl. James Connell

Lce.-Cpl. Chas. S. Embling

†Private John Rowe

Private Andrew G. Bowie

Private Richard Hartley

Private Lawrence Hartley

Private Andrew M. Cochrane

Private Robert Duguid

Private W.J. Gillett

Private Fred. Stryker

Private A.H. Semple

Private C.H. Brown

Private Jno. D. Fawcett

Private Homer Glenn

Private W. Stephenson

*Private H. Currie

*Private M. Emmerson

‡Private H. Sharpe

†Private A. Yates

*Private A. Shaffer

‡Private R. Perry

*Private Frank J. Mason

*Private Fred. Thomas

Private John Ridgeway

*Private Alex. Webber

Private Ernest Reeves

*Private Chas. Brindley

Private Fred. Dover

Private Thomas Kirby

Private Harold Pratt

‡Private Thomas Sheppard

Private John McGowan

‡Private Joseph Lagassie

Private Frank Bessell

Private Aubry Collins

Private Hugh Todd

*Private Cecil Brooks

Private John Biss

Cadet Alex. Connell, R.A.F.

*Private Hunter Kerr

†Private James McArthur

†Private David McArthur

Private Herbert Williamson

*Private Howard Williamson

*Private Harold Proctor

Private William Barber

‡Private Harry Pullen

‡Private Angus McCoy

Private Angus Holden

Private Roy Plaxton

Private George Young

Private Gordon Bantten

Private Arch. Bush

‡Private Cecil Pratt

‡Private Forest McKee

Private Thomas Jones

Private Fred. Burmister

Private Harold Dawe

Private Thomas Cooper

‡Private James Bevin, Jr.

Private James Bevin

*Private Abraham L. Gibson

Private Henry Rainey

*Private Norman Barry

Private Norman Burmister

Private Wesley Crone

‡Private Harold Clark

‡Private Harold Varley

†Private John Byrnes

Private Andrew Turner

Private Angus Turner

Private Norman Hawkins

Private Fred. Deer

Private J. Peterkin

‡Private Dalton Bailey

‡Private Alex. Connell

*Private Ernest A. Bishop

Private Robert Brophy

†Private Frank Foreman

*Private Arthur Griesbach

‡Private William G. Hedger

Private Chas. J. Herbert

Private A.E. King

*Private James Mathie

Private A.R. Mitchell

Private Hilton Mitchell

‡Private Ernest Podmore

Private John Riddell

Private Clare A. Trott

*Private Kenneth Carmichael

Private Alex. Barnes

Private Geo. Cheeseman

‡Private David Lowry

Cadet Hubert Noble, R.A.F.

Cadet Douglas Bemrose, R.A.F.

†Cadet William Jackman, R.A.F. Died

Cadet Bertram Richards, R.A.F.

Private Britton Kennedy

†Private Alvin Battenheimer

Private Albert McLeod

Private Cecil Ferguson

Private D. McIntyre

Private A. McNeill

Private Henry Blanchard

*Private Thomas Howard

‡Private Robert Soulsby

Private H. Sparks

Private R. Rowley

†Private T. Foley

Private J. Bricknell

†Private F. Maw

*Private J. Cropper

*Private A. Bittit

*Private Barton Vankoughnet

*Private A. Brett

†Private Roy McDonald

†Private Paul Closen

*Private Nick McRae

Private Harry Campbell

Private Jas. Dennison

Private C. Shultz

Private G.H. Watts

Private Roy Carmichael, Prisoner

Private Ed. Ridgeway

†Private Chas. Furlong, Died

†Private Chas. Armstrong

Private Chas. Herbert

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