SS ''Princess Helene'' was a

passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...

and

cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

ferry operated by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

(CPR).

William Denny and Brothers William Denny and Brothers Limited, often referred to simply as Denny, was a Scotland, Scottish shipbuilder, shipbuilding company. History The shipbuilding interests of the Denny family date back to William Denny (born 1779), for whom ships ar ...

built ''Princess Helene'' in 1930 at

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

. She was custom designed for CPR’s

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy (french: Baie de Fundy) is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its extremely high tidal range is th ...

service connecting the CPR's eastern mainline railway terminus at

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of K ...

with the port of

Digby, Nova Scotia Digby is an incorporated town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is in the historical county of Digby and a separate municipality from the Municipality of the District of Digby. The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Bas ...

, which was served by a CPR subsidiary, the

Dominion Atlantic Railway The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia in Canada, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley. The Dominion Atlantic Railway was unusually diverse f ...

. Replacing the older and smaller DAR steamer ''Empress'', ''Princess Helene'' could carry 500 passengers and 50 automobiles as well as large amounts of freight. Special side-loading doors moved vehicles and freight to large wharf elevators at Digby and Saint John to cope with the

tidal range Tidal range is the difference in height between high tide and low tide. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun and the rotation of Earth. Tidal range depends on time and location. ...

in the Bay of Fundy. ''Princess Helene'' was part of a chain of CPR's transportation system that “spanned the world” and as such she was outfitted in the style of the company's "Duchess" ocean liners. She had 43 state rooms complemented by beautiful interior fittings that exceeded the usual standards of Canada's regional ferries. Crew uniforms were modeled on the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...

and each time she passed the DAR's Digby Pines Hotel, bellboys would dip the hotel's flag and salute. Nicknamed the "Digby Boat", ''Princess Helene'' made her crossings without fail across the turbulent and foggy Bay of Fundy and through the dangerous waters of

Digby Gut The Digby Gut is a narrow channel connecting the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. The town of Digby, Nova Scotia is located on the inner portion of the western side of the Gut. The eastern entrance is marked by the Point Prim Lighthouse. S ...

. She steamed 168,400 miles during 33 years of service, including precarious crossings during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

where she was often escorted by

warships and

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environ ...

aircraft because of the danger of attack by German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

s. ''Princess Helene'' was replaced April 27, 1963 by , formerly the CPR’s

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

ferry ''Princess of Nanaimo''. The new ship had greater capacity for automobile and truck traffic but lacked her predecessor's grand ocean liner charm and would be replaced by another newly built vessel carrying the same name ''Princess of Acadia'' within 7 years. Hugh "Sam" Macdonald was the longtime Chief Engineer of the SS ''Princess Helene.'' His nephew, Donald Stovel Macdonald was a member of Pierre Trudeau's Cabinet and served as President of the Privy Council, Minister of National Defence, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and Minister of Finance. ''Princess Helene'' was sold to

Chandris Lines Chandris Line was a Greece-based shipping company founded in 1960 by Anthony Chandris to operate ocean liners between Greece and Australia.#Plowman, Plowman (2006–1). pp. 5–6. Initially the company also traded under the names ''Greek Australia ...

of Greece, extensively rebuilt, and renamed ''Carina II''. She operated budget cruises until 1972 when she was laid up and subsequently sold for scrap several years later.Simplon
SS ''Princess Helene''; SS ''Carina II''
/ref> A large builder’s model of ''Princess Helene'' is preserved today at the

Canada Science and Technology Museum The Canada Science and Technology Museum (abbreviated as CSTM; french: Musée des sciences et de la technologie du Canada) is a national museum of science and technology in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum has a mandate to preserve and promote ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. “The 4,000 ton Princess Helene closed out 33 years service Saturday (May 4th 1963) - on this run patronized by the people of the Maritimes as well as vacationers from other parts of Canada, the United States and elsewhere. While the Helene’s last trip was a nostalgic one for its 240 passengers, it was even more so for Captain A. Roy Conley, master since 1946, who has been with the vessel since she entered service in 1930. Captain Conley has made over 21,000 crossings on the Bay of Fundy during his half-century at sea - 45 of them with the Canadian Pacific. “ The Montreal Gazette - May 6, 1963

Notes

References

* Musk, George. (1981)
''Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line.''
Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada.
OCLC 7540915
* Ness, Gary. (1988). ''Canadian Pacific's Dominion Atlantic Railway.'' Calgary: British Railway Modellers of North America. ;
OCLC 19848419
* Woodworth, Marguerite. (1936). ''History of the Dominion Atlantic Railway.'' Kentville, Nova Scotia: Kentville Pub. Co
OCLC 1549597

External links

''Dominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Institute'' "SS Princess Helene"Admiral Digby Museum Memories Through Time Virtual Exhibit: Transportation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Princess Helene Ships of CP Ships Ferries of Nova Scotia Ferries of New Brunswick Transport in Digby County, Nova Scotia 1930 ships Transport in Saint John, New Brunswick Troopships of Canada

See also

Notes

References

External links