Swanson Bay, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Swanson Bay is a ghost town
in British Columbia
, Canada
located in Graham Reach on the Inside Passage
, between Princess Royal Island
and the northern mainland. It was named after Captain John Swanson
of the Hudson's Bay Company
's steamship, the SS Beaver
.
In 1909, one of the first sulfite pulp mill
s on the B.C. coast was established here, with a planing and shingle mill added later. Whalen Pulp and Paper Mills of Vancouver, also the proprietor of the pulp mill at Port Alice, operated it until 1918, when they abandoned it as unprofitable. The post office remained until 1943. Today all that can be seen is a ruined chimney and some rotten pilings.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
located in Graham Reach on the Inside Passage
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. The route extends from southeastern Alaska, in the United States, through western British Columbia, in Canada, to northwestern Washington...
, between Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island is the largest island on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located amongst the isolated inlets and islands east of Hecate Strait on the British Columbia Coast. At , it is the fourth largest island in British Columbia...
and the northern mainland. It was named after Captain John Swanson
John Swanson
John Swanson may refer to:* John Swanson , American Civil War sailor and Medal of Honor recipient* John August Swanson , American visual artist* John A. Swanson, American engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist...
of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
's steamship, the SS Beaver
Beaver (steamship)
Beaver was the first steamship to operate in the Pacific Northwest of North America. She made remote parts of the west coast of Canada accessible for maritime fur trading and was chartered by the Royal Navy for surveying the coastline of British Columbia....
.
In 1909, one of the first sulfite pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
s on the B.C. coast was established here, with a planing and shingle mill added later. Whalen Pulp and Paper Mills of Vancouver, also the proprietor of the pulp mill at Port Alice, operated it until 1918, when they abandoned it as unprofitable. The post office remained until 1943. Today all that can be seen is a ruined chimney and some rotten pilings.