Home  Canadian-Built Ships by Type

Coast Guard Vessels Acquired Before WWII

Most recent update: January 26, 2012.

The Canadian Coast Guard, as we know it today, was organized 50 years ago, in 1962, by consolidating the fleets of several marine agencies.  This table attempts to list the various vessels that were built for or acquired by those agencies prior to and during World War II, all of which were gone by the time the CCG was created in 1962.  They are listed here by type of vessel and year of build.  (A separate table lists the ships and boats built after the war, almost all of which served or are serving in the Canadian Coast Guard: see that table here.)  This table is as complete as I can make it but there are bound to be some gaps, especially among the smaller vessels.  If anyone has any corrections or additions, please send them to timcolton@aol.com

Original Name Shipbuilder Location LDT LOA Completed Disposition
ICEBREAKERS
Minto Gourlay Bros. Dundee, UK 1,089 225 1899 To Russia 1915, wrecked in Norway
Montcalm Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 1,432 252 1904 To Russia 1942, scrapped
Earl Grey Vickers Armstrong Barrow, UK 2,357 250 1909 To Russia 1914 as Kanada, scrapped 1959
Mikula Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 3,515 275 1916 Acquired 1923, scrapped 1937
Saurel Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 1,176 212 1929 Scrapped 1968
N. B. McLean Halifax Shipyard Halifax NS 3,254 260 1930 Scrapped 1989
Ernest Lapointe Davie SB Lauzon QC 1,179 172 1941 To L'Islet sur Mer 1980 as museum
BUOY TENDERS
Lansdowne O'Brien Maccan NS 680 189 1833 Laid up 1917 and condemned
Richelieu   Montreal QC 126 130 1845 Sank 1877 after collision near Three Rivers
Advance J. Wilson Quebec City QC 373 164 1853 Acquired 1869, sold 1868
Admiral Niagara Dock Co. Buffalo NY 289 155 1854 Acquired 1860, sold 1861
Druid Todd & McGregor Glasgow, UK 239 160 1856 Sold 1901, re-named Niagara, sank 1936 in Thunder Bay
Napoleon III Napier Glasgow, UK 495 173 1856 Acquired 1860, lost by stranding 1890 in Little Glace Bay
Queen Victoria Napier Glasgow, UK 495 173 1856 Acquired 1860, foundered 1866 returning from Havana
Lady Head Napier Glasgow, UK 299 151 1857 Acquired 1860, wrecked 1878 on Point Jaune
Sir James Douglas   Victoria BC 153 116 1864 Scrapped 1900
Newfield J. L. Thompson Sunderland, UK 785 206 1870 Acquired 1875, wrecked 1900 in White Cove
Northern Light E. W. Sewell Levis QC 399 144 1876 Ice-strengthened, sold 1890
Princess Louise O'Brien Maccan NS     1882 Wrecked 1882 at Point Prim
Reserve G. H. Notter Buffalo NY 114 80  1884 Ex-Alaska, acquired 1903, scrapped 1924
Stanley Fairfield SB Glasgow, UK 914 207 1888 Ice-strengthened, sold 1935
W. H. Lee   US 317 129 1889 From RCN 1920, burnt 1922 in Halifax
Aranmore W. B. Thompson Dundee, UK 1170 241 1890 Acquired 1914, sold 1939, sank 1948 off Haiti
Quadra Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 573 174 1890 Sold 1916
Aberdeen Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 674 180 1894 Wrecked 1923 off Seal Island
Shamrock J. C. Kaine   237 117 1898 Burnt 1928
Brant John White Charlottetown PE 141 100 1899 Retired 1928
Newington Cook, Walton & Gemmell  Beverly, UK 193 115 1899 Purchased 1908, sold 1937
Scout J. R. Miller Cardinal ON 176 104 1900 From Railways and Canals 1902, sold 1934
Georgia Victoria MD Victoria BC 34   1900  
Druid Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 503 160 1902 Sold 1946, later Eva
Lady Laurier Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 1051 210 1902 Scrapped 1960
Laurentian Cook, Walton & Gemmell  Beverly, UK 355 149 1902 Ex-King Edward, acquired 1917, scrapped 1947
Champlain Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 522 132 1904 Ice-strengthened, sold 1920, sunk off Newfoundland 1943
Lady Grey Vickers Barrow, UK 733 183 1906 Ice-strengthened, sank 1955 while assisting Quebec-Levis ferry
Rouville Government SY Sorel QC 301 130 1906 Sank 1931
Leebro W. Turpel Victoria BC 323 124 1908 Chartered 1905, returned 1912, later Cadet Ship Beaver 
Lambton Government SY Sorel QC 323 108 1909 Sank 1922 near Caribou Island
Montmagny Government SY Sorel QC 1269 213 1909 Sank 1914 after collision near Crane Island
Simcoe Swan Hunter Wallsend, UK 913 180 1909 Foundered 1917 in the Magdalen Islands
Estevan Collingwood SY Collingwood ON 1161 212 1912  
Bellechasse Kingston SB Kingston ON 461   1912 Sold 19--, scrapped 1954
Dollard Kingston SB Kingston ON 853 170 1913 Sold 1961, scrapped 1970
Safeguarder Day, Summers & Co.  Southampton, UK 665 160 1914 Ex-Safeguard, acquired 1929 
Grenville Polson Iron Works Toronto ON 497 164 1915 Wrecked in ice 1969
Argenteuil Government SY Sorel QC 165 100 1917 Sold 1960, sank 1962 near Lauzon
Bernier Davie SB Lauzon QC 317 125 1918 Ex-TR-45, Labrador, Mardep, acquired 1935, sold 1960, wrecked in Labrador 1965
Concretia Montreal SB Montreal QC 320 126 1918 Experimental concrete ship, sold 1935, sunk as wharf in Kingston ON
Loos Kingston SB Kingston ON 357 130 1918 Wrecked 1930 in Barclay Sound
Murray Stewart Port Arthur SB Port Arthur ON 234 119 1918 Acquired 1922, to RCN 1939, sold 1946, later David Richard, Georgian Queen, scrapped 1967
Franklin Fleming & Ferguson Paisley, UK 613 136 1919 Ex-St. Finbarr, from Dept. of Interior 1939, sold 1958
St. Heliers Ferguson Bros. Port Glasgow, UK 930 190 1919 Acquired 1930, sold 1960, later Tropic Sea
Birnie   Victoria BC 73 66  1921 Sold 1951
Brant Government SY Sorel QC 285 125 1927 Laid up 1966
Chesterfield Collingwood SY Collingwood ON 734 180 1928 Scrapped 1968
Traverse George Brown Greenock, UK 317 130 1930 Sold 1952, scrapped 1966
RESEARCH AND SURVEY VESSELS
Alert H.M. Dockyard Pembroke, UK 700 160 1856 Acquired 1885, scrapped 1895
Bayfield   Buffalo NY 150 110 1864 Acquired 1884, sold 1903, scrapped 1913
Bayfield D. & W. Henderson Glasgow, UK 276 140 1889 Ex-Lord Stanley, acquired 1901, sold 1935, wrecked 1949 off Newfoundland
Stadacona W. Cramp & Sons Philadelphia PA 780 168 1893 Ex-Columbia, from RCN 1923, sold 1924
Gulnare Charles Connel Glasgow, UK 262 137 1893 Ex-Gulnare, acquired 1902, sold, scrapped 1949
Lillooet B.C. Marine Railways  Esquimalt BC 575 172 1907 Sold 1939 as Salvage Chieftain, Lillooet 1950, scrapped 1957
Cartier Swan Hunter Newcastle, UK 556 164 1910 Scuttled 1957 off Sydney NS
Acadia Swan Hunter Newcastle, UK 846 182 1913 Retired 1969, now museum in Halifax
Detector Government SY Sorel QC 584 147 1915 Preserved ashore at L'Islet sur Mer 1979
Berthier Government SY Sorel QC 368 128 1916 Sold 1961
Pender Vancouver SY N. Vancouver BC 218 100 1930 Sold 1950
Wm. J. Stewart Collingwood SY Collingwood ON 1295 228 1932 To Dept. of Mines 1936
PATROL VESSELS
Daring         1851 Lost 1867 in Herring Cove
La Canadienne Lee  Quebec 101 92  1855 Wrecked 1874 on St. Paul's Island
Charybdis H.M. Dockyard Chatham, UK 2,250 200 1858 Frpm RCN 1990 as a training ship, returned 1882
Ella G. McLean   St. Andrew's NB 78 83  1868 Chartered, then purchased 1873, sold 1876
S. G. Marshall Rustico PE 51 65  1868 Seized 1870 for illegal fishing, lightship 1872. 
Water Lily   St. George NB 90 77  1870 Chartered seasonally, 1870-74 
J. W. Dunscomb   Quebec 98 90  1871 Lightship 1875
Glendon   Saint John NB 266 128 1872 Acquired 1874, sold 1881
Acadia J. Roach & Son Chester PA 520 182 1880 Ex-Yosemite, acquired 1885, scrapped 1910
La Canadienne Robert Duncan Port Glasgow, UK 372 154 1880 Ex-Foxhound, acquired 1881, sold 1918, scrapped 1920
G. T. D. T. A. Wilson Bridgewater NS 343 123 1890 Ex-Tyree, used as wreck vessel, sold 1930
Constance Polson Iron Works Owen Sound ON 185 116 1892 Sold 1920
Curlew Polson Iron Works Owen Sound ON 158 116 1892 Sold 1921
Petrel Polson Iron Works Owen Sound ON 192 116 1892 Sold 1923
Kingfisher   Shelburne NS 107 100 1892 Acquired 1893, sold 1905
Princess Grangemouth DY Grangemouth, UK 542 165 1896 Acquired 1906, sold 1919 to Peru
Lady of the Lake   Selkirk MB 201 105 1897 Acquired 1907, sold 1915
Arctic Howaldstwerke Kiel, Germany 762 165 1901 Ex-Gauss, acquired 1904, scrapped 1926
Kestrel A. Wallace Vancouver BC 311 126 1903 Sold 1912, scrapped 1931
Canada Vickers Armstrong Barrow, UK 411 200 1904 To RCN 1914, sold 1924, sank near Miami 1926
Vigilant Polson Iron Works Toronto ON 396 175 1904 Scrapped 1956
Restless   New Westminster BC 76 71  1906 Acquired 1908, sold 1927
Malaspina Dublin Dockyard Dublin, IRE 392 162 1913 Acquired 1914
Arleux Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 375 130 1918 From RCN 1930, destroyed by an explosion off Halifax NS 1948
Arras Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 375 130 1918 From RCN 1930, scrapped 1957
Givenchy Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 357 130 1918 From RCN 1930, scrapped 1952
Cloya Burrard DD Vancouver BC 26   1923  
TUGS
Frontenac Government SY Sorel QC 262 113 1901 Scrapped 1927
Lac St. Pierre Government SY Sorel QC 159 100 1901 Sold 1943
Vercheres Polson Iron Works Toronto ON 198 104 1901 Ex-Algoma, sold 1963, scrapped 1967
James Howden Government SY Sorel QC 177 100 1903 Scrapped 1929
Jalobert Kingston SB Kingston ON 278 107 1911 Ex-Polana, from DoA 1927, sold 1954 as Macassa, Queen City, 1965, still afloat
Varennes Government SY Sorel QC 187 96  1911 Scrapped 1943
Ocean Eagle Day, Summers Southampton, UK 420 135 1919 Ex-St. Arvans, from NHB 1938, sold 1946, later Aigle d'Ocean
Frontenac Government SY Sorel QC 248 108 1930 Sold 1967
Glenada Russel Bros. Owen Sound ON 101 73  1943  
OTHER VESSELS
Lord Strathcona J. P. Rennoldson South Shields, UK 495 160 1902 Salvage ship, scrapped 1947
Lightship No. 14 Polson Iron Works Toronto ON 396   1903 Lightship, foundered 1980
Lightship No. 15 Polson Iron Works Toronto ON 396   1904 Lightship, deleted 1960
Vercheres Government SY Sorel QC 147 100 1906 Lighthouse construction ship, scrapped 1928
Citadelle Davie SB Lauzon QC 431 120 1932 Fire tug, sold 1962, scrapped 1966
St. Catherines Yarrows Esquimalt BC 1,895 283 1943 Weather ship, from RCN 1950, scrapped 1967
St. Stephen Yarrows Esquimalt BC 1,895 283 1944 Weather ship, from RCN 1950, scrapped 1967
Stonetown Canadian Vickers Montreal QC 1,883 283 1944 Weather ship, from RCN 1950, scrapped 1967
Marmot   Belfast, UK 543 187 1944 Converted LCT-4, from RN 1958 
Mink   Chepstow, UK 543 187 1944 Converted LCT-4, from RN 1958 
Puffin Harland & Wolff Belfast, UK 1103 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 53, converted LCT-8 
Raven Harland & Wolff Belfast, UK 1103 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 54, converted LCT-8 
Gannet Sir Wm. Arrol Glasgow, UK 1083 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. ---, converted LCT-8 
Auk Sir Wm. Arrol Glasgow, UK 1089 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 74, converted LCT-8 
Skua Sir Wm. Arrol Glasgow, UK 1102 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 75, converted LCT-8 
Nanook Sir Wm. Arrol Glasgow, UK 1155 219 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 77, converted LCT-8 
Eider Sir Wm. Arrol Glasgow, UK 1091 225 1946 Ex. D.O.T. 78, converted LCT-8