Prince Rupert Seal Cove History

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A $120,000 Fish Curing and Refrigeration Plant
was being established at Seal Cove in 1910

Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co. Ltd., Prince Rupert
located at Seal Cove
Photo courtesy Grant Walker, CA
Note-This is a Copyright Protected Picture, with my visible Watermark
Please Do Not Use it as a Link Picture, Please Do not Download this Picture
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It was expected to be open in the spring of 1912
but wasn't until the end of June 1912, when the steam was turned on.

Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co., Ltd.,
English Company, organized in 1907,
Incorporated in 1908, in BC
Capitalized at $1,500,000, 15 thousand shares at $100 ea.
It was expected to be the largest Cold Storage Plant in the World.
Grand trunk had set aside land at Porpoise Bay for them.
Somehow this was changed to Seal Cove.

Company Executives, Dec-1907

President- Andrew Kelly, of Winnipeg MB
He was also President of the Western Flour Mills Company.

Vice-President-James Carruthers, of Montreal, Quebec
the largest Grain Exporter in Canada, and a Director of the Dominion Bank.

Director- J. W. Stewart partner in the Foley, Welch & Stewart Co.

Managing Director- George H. Collins, of Vancouver

Director and General Manager- Grier Samuel Starratt,
General Manager of the New England Fish Co.
He was involved in the Halibut Industry for 14 years before this

Plant Design
Ice-Making Capacity, 80 tons daily (100 tons in another source)
Cold Storage Capacity, 14,000,000 Pounds
Ice storage capacity, 2,000 Tons
later company became "Rupert Cold Storage"

Superintendent in 1911 was Daniel Lyons

Robert Matheison was the Stationary Engineer in 1911

Grier Samuel Starratt arrived in New Westminster in 1891.
In 1907 he was hired to design, build, and manage this plant.
He managed this plant until 1914, per one source.

Dec 8, 1911, George H. Collins, Manager of the
Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co. Plant at Seal Cove,
Capitalized at $1,500,000.00, was on route to England,
passing through Oakland CA,
where he was to call for tenders to build 16 fishing vessels.
500 men were to be hired, None were Japanese!
"White men and Indians" were only ones hired.
Race was a big issue in the fishing industry, back then.

They were to initially have 10 large motor boats.

The warehouse was 781,000 cu. ft. or refrigerated space.
It was constructed of Steel and Reinforced Concrete throughout,
6 stories, (7 stories in another article)
Building 80 X 145 ft. started apr 4, 1911, completed June 27, 1911
It was insulated with a 3 inch Tile and 5 inches of Cork Board.
The floors were covered with a mastic asphalt.
It had supporting pillars from the bedrock below, to the roof.
It had 156 steps alongside one of the 2 elevators.
One elevator for Cold Storage, other for the fish.
July 1911 they were pouring concrete for the Machine Shop,
boiler room, and smoke stacks.
Construction Superintendent George L. Clayton,
was in charge here at that time.
They expected a major business when the GTPR was opened.
Consisted of well built wharves.
Fresh whole fish, unloaded on the wharf,
could be hauled through the bottom floor,
directly into refrigerated rail cars,
if no processing required for an order,
through the wall of doors adjacent to the tracks.
Also a large boarding house was located here.
The GTPR extended their track to the site of the plant.
They used 7 or 8 refrigerated cars at a time.

1918- Mr. T. M. Johnson was General Manager of this Plant

1919- they sold the "Rupert Brand"

Aug 1919 they installed insulation and freezing equipment
in the top 2 floors.
This allowed them to freeze 60 tons of fish every 24 hrs,
plus produce 80 tons of Ice at the same time.

1914
A 16 ft plank road was being built from Seal Cove
along 11th ave. to the boulevard, to McBride St., costing $24,500

1915
A Rev W. S. Larter and his wife lived at Seal Cove
By end of Aug 1916, he left Rupert,
He was in charge of the Anglican Church in Smithers,
married with a daughter.
Before Prince Rupert he was in Hazelton

George Collins, Manager of the
Canadian Fish and Cold Storage Co. Plant at Seal Cove,
returned from England, Apr 1912,
They were building a new Cannery and Fertilizing plant
for $300,000 on the opposite shore of Tuck's Inlet.

1917
July 17- E. F. Duby, representing the Emerson Sawmill
interests at Prince Rupert, was busy landing building material
at the mill site at Seal Cove.
He was putting in a gridiron, a donkey engine, and derrick.
In a few weeks the erection of the mill buildings will begin.
Half a million board ft of lumber left Vancouver to build this mill.

This was the Prince Rupert Lumber Company Mill
Note-This is a Copyright Protected Picture, with my visible Watermark
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It is not only illegal to do so, but morally wrong!
Stealing anything is possible, but is it right?

Owned by J. S. Emerson interests in Vancouver and Portland
E. F. Duby Engineer and Manager
1923 E. F. Duby was also in charge at the Kleanza Mill at Usk.

Oct 1917- R. G. Lowry was at Seal Cove
building a new Fish Packing plant at Seal Cove

1918
Small yards established here for the construction of Boat Hulls
Forms for a concrete boat were being constructed here
the first of its kind in Northern waters.

1919
Prince Rupert Lumber Company Mill was being leased
to Vancouver Interests, Mar 1919

1921
Seal Cove Hotel
William J. Quayle, Chef
Boarding House for Prince Rupert Lumber Co.

1924
A Major World Event passed through Seal Cove in April 1924
and has been virtually forgotten about in this area.

Douglas World Cruisers, Air Service USA, Around the World Flight
Landed here at Seal Cove, Apr 6, 1924

Note-This is a Copyright Protected Picture, with my visible Watermark
Please Do Not Use it as a Link Picture, Please Do not Download this Picture
It is not only illegal to do so, but morally wrong!
Stealing anything is possible, but is it right?

2 of the 4 planes, Nelson's "New Orleans" and Wade's "Boston"
at Seal Cove, Prince Rupert, Apr 6, 1924
Photos above, courtesy Grant Walker, CA

Prince Rupert, BC, Canada, 3 planes arrived Apr 6, 1924, at 4:54,
Wade arrived at 5:26, they all left to Sitka AK, Apr 10, 1924,
so we know they were in Prince Rupert for 4 days
repairing Major Martin's plane.

Per newspaper article Mayor S. M. Newton of Prince Rupert,
and other dignitaries, and townspeople attended their arrival.
This was the only stop on Canadian Soil on the Pacific Coast.

Sept 1940
E. J. Ryan Contracting Ltd. started work on a New Air Base
located at Seal Cove.
18 Buildings, including a hangar, Hospital Building,
Radio Station, Gas Station, and Garage.
Estimated cost was to be $300,000

Canadian Coast Guard Base
BC Forest Service Marine Base
BC Air Ambulance Services
Helicopter Charter Services