Whitesmith (1941)

The Whitesmith was built near Sicamous, BC in 1929, and was powered by a 100 horsepower Raney & Selby com-pound steam engine, that drove a single propellor. It took over from the last sternwheeler and provided weekly ferry service on Shuswap Lake from Sicamous and Salmon Arm to outlying communities (Eagle Bay, Seymour Arm, Anstey Arm) during the Great Depression. The SS Whitesmith sank at its mooring on Shuswap Lake in 1941 when a broken piling of the old CPR coal dock holed its side.

The Whitesmith lies on a sloping clay bottom in 10 to 15 meters of water in Shuswap Lake. The hull is intact. The second deck has been removed, and while the sides of the first deck are upright its ceiling rafters have fallen inwards.

Note: British Columbia’s Heritage Conservation Act automatically protects all heritage wrecks, including the remains of all wrecked vessels and aircraft once two or more years have passed since the date of loss. It is illegal to damage, alter or remove a heritage object from a heritage wreck except under a permit issued by the Archaeology Branch.