Invermere (riverboat)

Invermere and crew, circa 1912
History
Name	Invermere (CAN 130892) (Mills 025370)
Owner	Alexander Blakely
Port of registry	Golden, BC
Route	Inland British Columbia on the Columbia River in the Columbia Valley
Launched	1912 at Golden, BC
Fate	Removed from registry 1915
General characteristics
Type	Inland passenger/freighter
Tonnage	66
Length	75 ft (23 m)
Beam	13 ft (4 m)
Depth	4.0 ft (1 m) depth of hold
Installed power	propeller-driven, gasoline or diesel engine
Capacity	Licensed for 20 passengers[1]

Invermere was a river boat that operated in British Columbia on the Columbia River from 1912 to about 1915. It was named for the town of Invermere.

Design and construction

Invermere was built at Golden, British Columbia, in 1912 by riverboat captain Alexander Blakely Although built in the style of a steamboat, Invermere was powered by a gasoline or diesel engine, then a newer method of marine propulsion. In 1914, Invermere was licensed to carry 20 passengers.^[1]

Operations

Invermere near Golden, BC, ca 1912

Invermere's owner, Alexander Blakely, was a steamboat captain who operated on the upper Columbia route from Golden to Windermere Lake.^[2]

Dismantled

Invermere was removed from the official registry in 1915. Other boats on the river were taken out of service at the same time, as riverboat operations were coming to an end.^[2]

Notes

1. Mills List of Canadian Steam Vessels, 1817-1930 (searchable online version from Great Lakes Marine Historical Society)
2. Downs, Art, Paddlewheels on the Frontier -- The Story of British Columbia and Yukon Sternwheel Steamers, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1972