Ontario's Historical Plaques
at ontarioplaques.com
Learn a little Ontario history as told through its plaques
Magnetawan River Steam Navigation
Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted May, 2005
Photo from Google Street View ©2010 Google - Posted November, 2010
Plaque Location
The District of Parry Sound
The Village of Burk's Falls
At the boat launch in a park just west of the falls
on the south side of Highway 520
.3 km east of the Highway 11 overpass
Coordinates: N 45 37.096 W 79 24.794 |
Plaque Text
The first steamboat on the Magnetawan River was the 10 m "Pioneer", built in 1879 for service between Magnetawan and Burk's Falls, a distance of 32 km. In 1886 a lock was completed at Magnetawan enabling steamer service to be extended an additional 16 km to Ahmic Harbour. Other steamers came into service, notably the "Wenonah" (1886), "Glenrosa" (1891), "Wanita" (1896), "Glenada" (1904) and "Armour" (1906). These and others provided the only efficient means of transporting passengers and freight from this landing at the railhead in Burk's Falls to the scattered settlements along the river. However, the advent of the automobile doomed these colourful craft, the last of which, the "Mike", ceased operation about 1934.
Related Ontario plaques
Magnetawan Lock
The First Steamship on Lake Ontario
Steamboating in Muskoka 1866-1959
Steamboating on Lake Simcoe
Steamboating on the Upper Ottawa
More
Information
More
Boating
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