Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company
Encyclopedia
The Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company was a company chartered in 1895 to operate steamboats on the Lake of Bays, and a series of lakes connecting to Huntsville
in the northern section of the Muskoka Lakes
District of Ontario, Canada.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the land north of Barrie
was being opened up for colonization. As roads were in poor condition or non-existent, the only reliable form of transportation was by steamboat. By 1875 a pair of locks and a canal
had been built to bypass a series of rapids in the Muskoka River
, allowing navigable access between Mary Lake and Huntsville. In 1886 another canal was built to connect from Fairy Lake to Peninsula Lake
to the east. However, the short distance between Peninsula Lake and Lake of Bays was too steep to justify building a canal. Within a distance of 1800 metres the elevation change was more than 30 metres. A ridge down the middle added an additional 20 metres.
was provided using buckboard
s to convey passenger
s and cargo
. A portage railway
from Peninsula Lake to Lake of Bays was proposed by the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company and in 1900 the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway Company was incorporated by a separate charter to build an electric or steam railway, over the portage.
In 1900 the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company changed its title to Huntsville and Lake of Bays Navigation Company. In 1902 this company was dissolved and a new charter was obtained as the Huntsville and Lake of Bays and Lake Simcoe Navigation Company Limited.
Work had not commenced on the portage railway by this time, although its charter stipulated the undertaking was to be started within three years and completed within seven. The Navigation Company took on the task of building the railway, starting in September 1902. Trains were operating after the close of navigation season in 1904, however, passenger service over the line was not available until 1905. The railway ended up as narrow gauge because rolling stock was purchased second hand from E.B. Eddy
of Hull, Quebec
.
, at Huntsville.
Steamboats operated on both sides of the portage. The lower lakes run started in Huntsville and ran east through Fairy Lake and into Peninsula Lake. After the trip on the portage railway, passengers boarded another steamboat for a trip on Lake of Bays. All the boats were powered by steam engines except the Iroquois II which used a diesel engine.
In 1984, a group of local railway enthusiasts got together to restore the railway portion of the company. The Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway Society operates a short run railway as a tourist attraction.
Huntsville, Ontario
Huntsville is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located north of Toronto and south of North Bay....
in the northern section of the Muskoka Lakes
Muskoka Lakes
The Township of Muskoka Lakes is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario. It has a year-round population of 6,467 and a summer population of 34,000.-History and government:...
District of Ontario, Canada.
In the latter half of the 19th century, the land north of Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
was being opened up for colonization. As roads were in poor condition or non-existent, the only reliable form of transportation was by steamboat. By 1875 a pair of locks and a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
had been built to bypass a series of rapids in the Muskoka River
Muskoka River
The Muskoka River is a river in the Muskoka District of Ontario, Canada.It rises in the highlands of Algonquin Park and flows southwest through a number of lakes including*Lake Muskoka*Lake Joseph*Lake Rosseau*Lake of Bays...
, allowing navigable access between Mary Lake and Huntsville. In 1886 another canal was built to connect from Fairy Lake to Peninsula Lake
Peninsula Lake
Peninsula Lake in the District Municipality of Muskoka, is one of the Muskoka Lakes.Peninsula Lake is a mid-sized cold-water lake located just east of Huntsville, Ontario. Municipal jurisdiction is split between the Town of Huntsville and the Township of Lake of Bays...
to the east. However, the short distance between Peninsula Lake and Lake of Bays was too steep to justify building a canal. Within a distance of 1800 metres the elevation change was more than 30 metres. A ridge down the middle added an additional 20 metres.
Portage railway
Initially service over the portagePortage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
was provided using buckboard
Buckboard
A buckboard is a four-wheeled wagon of simple construction meant to be drawn by a horse or other large animal. The "buckboard" is the front-most board on the wagon that could act as both a footrest for the driver and protection for the driver from the horse's rear hooves in case of a "buck". The...
s to convey passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
s and cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
. A portage railway
Portage railway
A portage railway is a short and possibly isolated section of railway used to bypass a section of unnavigable river or between two water bodies which are not directly connected...
from Peninsula Lake to Lake of Bays was proposed by the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company and in 1900 the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway Company was incorporated by a separate charter to build an electric or steam railway, over the portage.
In 1900 the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Transportation Company changed its title to Huntsville and Lake of Bays Navigation Company. In 1902 this company was dissolved and a new charter was obtained as the Huntsville and Lake of Bays and Lake Simcoe Navigation Company Limited.
Work had not commenced on the portage railway by this time, although its charter stipulated the undertaking was to be started within three years and completed within seven. The Navigation Company took on the task of building the railway, starting in September 1902. Trains were operating after the close of navigation season in 1904, however, passenger service over the line was not available until 1905. The railway ended up as narrow gauge because rolling stock was purchased second hand from E.B. Eddy
E. B. Eddy Company
The E. B. Eddy Company was a Canadian pulp and paper company, now a division of Domtar Inc. It was originally incorporated in 1886 as The E. B. Eddy Manufacturing Company with Ezra Butler Eddy as its president. Eddy had begun business in 1854 making and selling wooden matches out of his home in...
of Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
.
Steamboats
Through its existence, the company operated several steamboats (see table). At the time, the area was becoming a popular resort destination. Several large hotels operated on the Lake of Bays and on the lower lakes and the steamboat business grew to service them, connecting with the Grand Trunk RailwayGrand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
, at Huntsville.
Steamboats operated on both sides of the portage. The lower lakes run started in Huntsville and ran east through Fairy Lake and into Peninsula Lake. After the trip on the portage railway, passengers boarded another steamboat for a trip on Lake of Bays. All the boats were powered by steam engines except the Iroquois II which used a diesel engine.
| Ship Name | Built | Owner | Operation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.S. Northern | 1877 | Denton | Lower Lakes | Dismantled in 1897 |
| S.S. Erastace Wiman | 1890 | Denton | Lower Lakes | Burned December 15, 1899. |
| S.S. Mary Louise | 1884 | Marsh | Lake of Bays | Retired in 1907 |
| S.S. Excelsior | 1884 | Marsh | Lower Lakes | Purchased in 1891. Burned in 1894 |
| S.S. Lady of the Lake | 1886 | Marsh | Lake of Bays | Dismantled in 1910 |
| S.S. Empress Victoria | 1894 | Marsh | Lower Lakes | Built on hull of Excelsior. Retired in 1915 |
| S.S. Dortha | 1894 | HLBTC | Lake of Bays | Renamed the Ramona in 1908. Retired during the depression |
| S.S. Joe | 1900 | HLBTC | Both | Dismantled in 1919 and sunk - bow can be seen (below water) south side of Portage Bay, Lake of Bays. |
| S.S. Phoenix | 1900 | HLBTC | Both | Tugboat. Dismantled in 1925 |
| S.S. Florence Main | 1901 | HLBNC | Both | Imported to Huntsville, from Muskoka Lake 1904, entered service 1905, moved to L' of Bays 1907, rebuilt 1913. |
| S.S. Mohawk Belle | 1913 | HLBNC | Lake of Bays | Reconstructed from Florence Main |
| S.S. Algonquin | 1906 | HLBNC | Lower Lakes | Hull replaced in 1928. Retired in 1952 |
| S.S. Iroquois | 1907 | HLBNC | Lake of Bays | Retired in 1948, sank at South Portage dock - stern can be seen 5' below water. |
| M.S. Iroquois II | 1949 | HLBNC | Both | Transferred to Lower Lakes in 1953. Sold in 1960 |
End of the line and rebirth
By the early 1950s, the road network improved to make the journey by steamboat unnecessary. The company continued to operate the portage railway and some of the steamboats as tourist attractions but by the end of the decade, aging equipment made the operation unprofitable. Service ended in 1960.In 1984, a group of local railway enthusiasts got together to restore the railway portion of the company. The Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway Society operates a short run railway as a tourist attraction.