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Port of Halifax Pier #21 and the Canadian Pacific Connection

By Don Scott, Coquitlam, BC

(July 1, 1999 -- Canada Day)

A few nights ago on CBC-TV "National News Bulletin" a few short clips of the passenger and immigration terminal were shown, leading up to the special for todays Canada Day celebrations.

One clip showed one of Canadian Pacific Steamship's 20,000 "Duchess" Class Trans-Atlantic liners arriving at the port in the 1930's. The second clip of the late 1940's around 1947-1948 of a Canadian Pacific twin-funelled "White Empress" liner with green trim and on her stacks the CP Red and White checker "House Flag. It was either the "Empress of Canada" (2nd) ex Duchess of Richmond, or "Empress of France" (2nd) ex Duchess of Bedford, two Duchess Liners out of four to survive WW2.

Another CP Trans-Altantic cargo-passenger ship of 10,000 tons the immigrant ship "Beaverbrae" 2nd. Canadian Pacific boat trains would be alongside pier #21's passenger tracks (all CP equipment to travel over CN Halifax-Moncton-Saint John, then on its own lines westbound. Canadian Pacific's long established history with the Port of Halifax goes back for many years.

Canadian Pacific Ocean Services as it was known in the mid-1880s early 1890's when CP was well established on its Vancouver-Victoria Trans-Pacific passenger and freight service to the Orient including new Empress Liners etc. turned to the Trans-Atlantic venture, either by establishing service out of Boston, New York, Portland, Maine.

It chose Montreal, Saint John, and Halifax for Trans-Atlantic passenger and freight service from the UK, and Continental Europe to Canada and around the world service, especially the "Empire Route" linking Great Britain and Hong Kong with the Canadian Pacific route. CPR bought out the Beaver Line at first to establish Trans-Atlantic service in 1903 with the "Lake" class passenger ships, about a total of 11 ships. The "Lake Champlain" enroute to Montreal with a total of 1,322 passengers due to ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence diverted to Halifax, N.S. in April of 1903.

CPR afterwards bought the Allan Line serving UK-Europe-New York-Boston-Saint John, N.B. and Halifax. The Allan Line also had a UK-Europe South America service including passenger to Argentina. The Allan Line for a number of years operated under its own name and later came under Canadian Pacific Ocean Services.

In 1921 CPOS Trans-Pacific-Trans Atlantic was changed to Canadian Pacific Steamships. In earlier years CPR had an agreement with the former Intercolonial Railway to carry CP boat trains Saint John-Halifax to and from the CPR railhead.

CP were bringing out new passenger liners for its Atlantic Service like the 14,000 ton sister ships "Empress of Austria", and "Empress of Germany" and just prior to entering service their names were changed to "Empress of Britain (1st) and "Empress of Ireland". New "M" Class liners were going into service like the "Metagama" and" Missanabie".

CP's Allan Line had 18 liners and later merged into the CP fleet. In World War 1, CP sent 50 ships into the war effort, losing 15 ships. After WW1 CP introduced three new 17,000 ton "Mont" liners on the Europe-UK-Canada run which made calls at Halifax enroute to and from Saint John during the winter months-Montreal route spring-summer and fall.

In the 1928 period CP introduces four-new 20,000 ton "Duchess" liners, Duchess of York, Duchess of Atholl, Duchess of Bedford, and Duchess of Richmond. The 23,000 ton "Empress of Australia" (1st ) was later transferred from Trans-Pacific Orient service to the Atlantic, ex German liner "Tirpitz" captured by the Allies in WW1.

In 1931 CP liners sailings in and out of Halfax were increased during the winter months westbound and eastbound enroute to or from Saint John, as well as CP's Trans-Atlantic cargo-express ships on their eastbound sailings. CP passenger boat trains were a common sight on CN between Halifax-Saint John west/eastbounds.

In 1922 the "Empress of "Scotland" (1st) made a westbound run from Southampton, England via Halifax enroute to New York to originate a 74 day New York-Mediterranean cruise. A few repeat cruises were made.

This liner then went a new Trans-Atlantic schedule from Hamburg, Germany to Quebec City via Southampton, Eng. and Cherbourg, France. In 1939 the 42,500 ton Canadian Pacific Flagship "Empress of Britain" (2nd) (entered service in 1931 Southampton- Cherbourg-Quebec City, New York West Indies cruises, and its annual 130 day World Cruises from New York) plus the 23,000 to Trans-Atlantic and cruise ship "Empress of Australia (1st) were both chartered for the Royal Visit across-Canada.

The Empress of Australia was usted Southampton-Quebec City, and the 42,500 ton Empress of Britain to carry the Royal Party from Halifax, N.S. via Newfoundland and back to Southampton, England.

At the outbreak of World War 2, the CP flagship "Empress of Britain" after her arrival from Southampton in Quebec City had its eastbound return trip to Southampton, to await further orders from the Admiralty. Normally the liner would make a number of West Indies cruises prior to its annual world cruise. However, after being tied up for a month at CPR's Wolfe's Cove Terminal received orders to sail for Halifax, N.S.

Around December 10, the CP Empress of Britain, CP Empress of Australia, CP Duchess of Bedford sailed in a large Atlantic convoy out of Halifax for Britain with the First Canadian Dvision.

My Brother-in-Law sailed on the Empress of Britain and always remarked the liner was all set up for cruising-not for military traffic. The only change to the ship-was repainting over its white superstructure at Quebec to battleship grey.

Speaking of the "Empress of Australia", the liner steamed from Colombo, Ceylon in Southeast Asia to Halifax to join the large eastbound convoy to Britain.

A couple of Canadian Pacific's "Duchess" liners were still holding down the Trans-Atlantic service for a couple of years, out of Montreal during the St. Lawrence season and West St. John during the late fall-winter and spring months to Liverpool, England.

My sister during January of 1940, sailed on the "Duchess of York" from West St. John, N.B via Halifax to Liverpool. The liner had a Naval escort as far as Halifax, then sailed unescorted Halifax-Liverpool.

A number of CP's Trans-Pacific liners called at Halifax for eastbound troop movements to the UK., such liners as the 26,500 ton "Empress of Scotland" the second renamed from Empress of Japan (2nd) former flagship of the Trans-Pacific fleet and largest liner on the Pacific-which held down the Vancouver-Victoria-Hawaii-Japan-Hong Kong-Philippines service along with the 24,000 ton "Empress of Canada". Two other Trans-Pacific liners the "Empress of Russia", and sister ship "Empress of Asia" which were seen in Halifax during World War #1. CP liners saw every port around the world in World War #2 including United States ports.

After the war ended CP liners were arriving in Halifax, if not Quebec City and U.S ports with returning serviceman. The Port of Saint John during the war lost their ocean passenger and immigration terminal due to a fire. CP commenced refurbishing their fleet of passenger liners after the war.

Of 23 liners, only five survived out of 23 ships called up for military service -the "Aorangi" of CP's Canadian Australian Line (South Pacific service) Empress of Scotland (2), Duchess of Richmond, and Duchess of Bedford.

CP's Duchess of Richmond was rebuilt and renamed "Empress of Canada" (2nd), and returned to Atlantic service out of Liverpool in 1947 on the run to Quebec City and Montreal, winter months westbound Liverpool-Halifax-Saint John, eastbound direct to Liverpool.

The Duchess of Bedford was refurbished and was to be renamed Empress of India, and at the last minute became the "Empress of France" (2nd). The "France" was late coming out of drydock in the UK., and CP Steamships chartered the Cunard Line 4 funelled "Acqatania" for a number of sailings from Southampton to Halifax with CPR boat trains Halifax-Saint John-Montreal (CN Halifax-Saint John) thence CP. The same routing for eastbound sailings.

The Empress of France made westbound calls in the winter for a period at Halifax, and eastbound sailings West St. John to Liverpool. The new ocean passenger and immigration terminal at West St. John was completed and a modern CPR passenger facility-four passenger tracks.

The refurbished 26,500 ton Empress of Scotland (2nd) entered Trans-Atlantic service in early 1950 on the Liverpool-Grennock, Scotland-Quebec City run, and later sailings extended to Montreal after the ship's masts were lowered to pass under the Jacques Cartier Bridge at Montreal.

In peacetime in the 1950's the Empress of Scotland for a few winters made a westbound call at Halifax while enroute to New York to commence its New York-West Indies-South America cruises. The Empress of Australia (1st) remained a troop transport until 1952, too old to be put into regular passenger service.

The Empress of Australia (2nd), the new liners-25,500 ton "Empress of Britain" (3rd) the new 25,500 ton "Empress of England" as far as records show never called at Halifax on winter runs from Liverpool-Saint John.

The new 27,500 ton "Empress of Canada" (3rd) did make an odd run to Halifax if not calling at West St. John repositioning the liner for New York-West Indies-South America cruises, or an annual New York-Mediterranean 61 day cruise and back to New York, before sailing non-stop New York-Liverpool in the early 1960's and late 1960's.

Canadian Pacific Steamship's cargo liners made calls at Halifax until the mid-1960's. All CP shipping with the container age commenced with new ships at first to Quebec City and later to Montreal on the Atlantic run to UK and continental Europe. Canadian Pacific (Bermuda) Limited for a period operated their 255,000 ton "Port Hawkesbury" under charter to Gulf Oil from the Persian Gulf to Point Tupper, Nova Scotia. This particular ship was one of 3 255,000 to crude super tankers.

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