SS Aberdeen

SS Aberdeen

SS Aberdeen on Okanagan Lake, 1895
History
Canada
Name:	Aberdeen
Namesake:	John Hamilton-Gordon, 7th Earl of Aberdeen (1870-1916) and Governor General of Canada (1893-1898)
Owner:	Canadian Pacific Railway
Route:	Penticton to Okanagan Landing
Builder:	B.C. Iron Works and CPR
Launched:	May 22, 1893
In service:	1893
Out of service:	December 31, 1919
Fate:	Hull sold for $35
General characteristics
Class and type:	Sternwheeler
Tonnage:	544.0
Length:	146.2 feet (44.6 m)
Beam:	29.9 feet (9.1 m)
Depth:	6.8 feet (2.1 m)

SS Aberdeen was a steamship commissioned by Canadian Pacific Railway company. It was the first CPR steamship on Okanagan Lake and carried passengers and cargo from Okanagan Landing to Penticton from 1893 to 1919.Aberdeen connected communities along Okanagan Lake for the first time, creating a new era in the Okanagan Valley and greatly aiding the economy and settlement of the interior of British Columbia.

Aberdeen was commissioned by CPR to extend the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway line from Okanagan Landing to Penticton. President William Cornelius Van Horne authorized construction in 1892. The ship was designed by the Danish shipbuilder John F. Steffen and master builder Edwin G. McKay supervised the building of the steamer. Horace Campbell of Portland, Oregon designed the engines, which were built at B.C. Iron Works. CPR built the boiler in Montreal. Aberdeen burned wood until 1902, when she was converted to a coal burner.

A shipyard named Okanagan Landing was constructed near Vernon to build and maintain Aberdeen. Okanagan Landing was later used for many ships, such as SS Okanagan, SS Naramata, and Sicamous. The construction of Aberdeen also provided work for local businesses, such as those supplying moulding, lumber, and fittings.

Aberdeen was a sternwheeler of classic western design, and called the “Finest inland steamer set afloat in the Northwest in 1893". She measured 146.2 feet (44.6m) by 29.9 feet (9.1m) and her depth of hold was 6.8 feet (2.1m). Her passenger capacity was 250 and her cargo deck capacity was 200 tons (180 tonnes).

The first deck held the boiler, machinery, freight, and crew’s quarters for eight. At the front of the freight deck was a staircase leading to the saloon deck, which had a smoking room in front, purser’s office aft, and a spare room. The dining saloon was in the center with 11 staterooms lining both sides. The stewardess’ room, pantry, and ladies’ toilet and cabins were also on the saloon deck. However, the cabins were not completed when Aberdeen was launched. The woodwork needed a year to shrink fully before the last coat of paint and gilt stripping could be applied. Officers’ quarters were behind the pilothouse.