Dartmouth Marine Slips
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The Dartmouth Marine Slips was an historic shipyard and
marine railway A patent slip or marine railway is an inclined plane extending from shoreline into water, featuring a "cradle" onto which a ship is first floated, and a mechanism to haul the ship, attached to the cradle, out of the water onto a slip. The mar ...
which operated in
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Dartmouth ( ) (Scottish Gaelic, Scottish-Gaelic: Baile nan Loch) is a Urban area, built-up community of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour, Dartmouth has 101 ...
between 1859 and 2003. It was noted for important wartime work during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
as well as during the
Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...
in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. After its closure, the site began redevelopment as King's Wharf, a high-rise residential development.


Origins

The Dartmouth Marine Slips were opened as the Chebucto Marine Railway in 1859 under the supervision of an American engineer, H.I. Crandall. His plans to use bilge and keel blocks to operate in conjunction with the current marine railway to haul ships in and out of the water was genius. The construction and operation of the Chebucto Marine Railway would not have been possible without the following investors: U.S. Consul Albert Pillsbury; Robert Boak of Boak, Taylor and Co.; and John Wyide of Wier and Co. The Chebucto Marine Railway was frequently used by merchant vessels and, at times, the Royal Navy. It enjoyed early success in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
by repairing the
blockade runners of the American Civil War During the American Civil War, blockade runners were used to get supplies through the Union blockade of the Confederate States of America that extended some along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines and the lower Mississippi River. The ...
who paid premium fees for quick repairs. The Marine Railway specialized in refitting hulls that were badly damaged because of the heavy sea swells in the Northern Atlantic. "Dart Slip", as it came to be known by many mariners, saw a large expansion and its heaviest work during the
Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...
in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
when the yard worked round the clock repairing merchant vessels and naval escort damaged by weather, enemy attacks, and collisions in
convoys A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
. The slip was ideally sized to quickly repair s, the workhorse ships of the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
.


Employment

In 1898, the name changed from the Chebucto Marine Railway to the Dartmouth Marine Railway. At this time, hundreds of workers were employed by the shipyard with occupations ranging from shipwrights to painters. Regardless of occupation, the average work day for anyone working at the Dartmouth Marine Railway was at least 14 hours. John Chappell and Alexander Lyle were notable shipbuilders during this time period, and now both are honored with streets being named after them in Dartmouth.


Services

The final and most commonly known name, the Dartmouth Marine Slips, eventually evolved. They offered a complete range of repair services for vessels up to 3,000 tons. The Slips had a reputation for being a "quick turn-around" repair site. An additional of berthing space was created to accommodate vessels needing alongside repairs. The Dartmouth Marine Slips provided a variety of services in its latter years: emergency and scheduled repair services for international and domestic fleets, extended repair services to offshore supply vessels servicing drill rigs off Canada's east coast, and also offered float repairs anywhere in
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...
by mobile ship crew using work boats and work barges. Regular customers over the years included large fishing trawlers,
Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...
vessels, the Halifax-Dartmouth ferries and historic vessels such as CSS ''Acadia''.


Closure

The Dartmouth Marine Slips were bought out in the 1990s by
Irving Shipbuilding Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is a Canadian shipbuilder and in-service support provider. The company operates as a subsidiary of J.D. Irving Limited. As of 2024, Irving Shipbuilding employs over 2100 shipbuilders. Irving Shipbuilding owns two shipya ...
, owners of
Halifax Shipyard The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded in 1889, it is today a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc. and is that company's largest ship construction and repair facil ...
which became known for a time as the Halifax Shipyards. Irving operated the two sites together, with the marine slips specializing in smaller and faster repair jobs. In 2003, despite the controversy it caused, the owners of the Dartmouth Marine Slips announced their plans to sell the Slips to Innovative Properties, a real estate development firm. Forty-four workers still employed at the shipyard were relocated to other Irving sites in the HRM region. The official closing date of the Dartmouth Marine Slips was June 20, 2003. The plans for future development of the property, called Kings Wharf, were published in a flyer on July 31, 2007. The plans aimed at residential and commercial properties; however, due to complications, little progress was made at first with construction finally beginning in 2009. Upon completion, the tallest building on the site will be the tallest building in Atlantic Canada, and the tallest on the eastern seaboard of North America north of Boston.


References

{{coord, 44.662958, -63.563367, type:landmark_region:CA-NS, display=title Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia History of Halifax, Nova Scotia