Old photos of St. John's and Harbour

 In scanning my grandfather's old slides, I came across some interesting images showing the harbour at St. John's, NL, between 1947 and the early 1970s. He seems to have travelled there several times over the years, with several trips to Newfoundland during the early 1970s. I'm assuming most or all of the images were taken by my grandfather, but it is possible some were purchased in a store at some point.

My grandfather would have arrived in St. John's by sea in both 1947 or so as well as in 1954 - the former while following his family who were travelling in the RMS Aquitania (only he stopped in St. John's, not the rest of the family) and the second crossing on the RM Ships Newfoundland and Nova Scotia with his family.

The first few images were taken from around Cabot Tower looking back up the harbour, and the first two were taken as early as 1947. The first two were processed by the Munshaw company, in contrast with all the rest of the slides, so I think the 1947 date is correct. Later slides from the 1950s appear to be Kodak, but using a different backing than the 1970s Kodak slides.

The quality of the older slides isn't the greatest. Compare the image above to the next image taken in the early 1970s.

The different lighting hides some of the contrasts between the two images, but the buildings along the waterfront certainly seem to have sprung up in the intervening years. I would love to know the name of what appears to be a tied up cruise ship.

A still later image than the preceding ones, though regrettably not taken from quite the same vantage point:

The following images appear to have been taken from a ship entering the harbour, but I'm not positive which ship nor which trip they were taken on. I'm assuming from the fact that these slides have Kodak backing, rather than Munshaw, that they are from the 1954 trip.

Taken from shore again, the next image shows al the fishing shacks and boats that used to line the harbour mouth.

The next two images presumably date from 1947 or so, and seem to show the same ship alongside. I can't make out a name.

The rest of the images are from the early 1970s. I believe this next image is of one of the French Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy Company's ships, Ampere.

The next two images from 1970 show a Portuguese fishing vessel, the Celeste Maria. Although the ship lasted 18 years under this name, which Nova Scotia's probably view as somewhat unlucky, she was lost to a fire at sea in 1972.

Look at the stacked dories!

The next cable ship, Northern, belonged to the Great Northern Telegraph Company. This photo was taken in 1972.

This final image is probably from 1954, and appears to show a back alley.

Naval and Cruise Ships

Cruise ships are regular visitors to Halifax during the summer months, but things ramp up in September and October, sometimes with three or more in port at a time - sometimes they can be seen arriving in a line in the harbour approaches. Friday only saw two arrivals, but at least they did line up for a photo.

Zuiderdam and Serenade of the Seas.

Zuiderdam.

Serenade of the Seas.

The Grey Funnel Line was also active this week. HMCS ST. JOHN'S was busy getting ready for a training cruise, which may be combined with a relief mission to hurricane stricken locations down south, Hurricane Irma having just devastated several islands and now heading for Florida.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

On Friday, HMCS MONTREAL arrived back in Halifax from a training cruise.

HMCS MONTREAL.

HMCS MONTREAL.

On the port side of her funnel, in a location where RHIBs are normally carried, there were two Meggitt Hammerhead target drones stacked.

The Meggitt Hammerhead drone can be see to the left beside the funnel, and there seems to be another under it.

Hammerheads are remote control drones that are used for training and target practice. They are built locally by A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. for Meggitt Training Systems.

Photos this week: October 8-14

There was a fair amount of Navy traffic this week, including an ever elusive submarine. Unusually, I will start with a photo taken in Lunenburg, where the French Navy's Saint Pierre et Miquelon patrol vessel FULMAR was tied up at the Lunenburg Foundry wharf.

FNS FULMAR (P740).

On Tuesday, HMCS ST. JOHN'S timed her departure perfectly to coincide with my ferry trip to work, and I got some nice shots of her as we ducked around her stern.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S.

As ST. JOHN'S was departing the harbour, Halifax's largest cruise ship visitor to date Anthem of the Seas was arriving for another visit. I will display some more images of the latter ship later, but when looking at this shot of the two ships together I can't help but be reminded of the scene in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" where the nuclear submarine is swallowed up by the much larger oil tanker. 

ST. JOHN'S and Anthem of the Seas.

HMCS WINDSOR (SSK 877) was busy this week, and departed and returned to Halifax multiple times, even taking out some Members of Parliament during one of her trips. I'm obviously in the wrong career!

HMCS WINDSOR passing the lighthouse on Georges Island.

I was excited upon first siting WINDSOR on Wednesday, as she was running her diesels, and had the tell-tale condensing exhaust plumes streaming out behind her. Diesel-electric submarines like WINDSOR use their diesels to recharge their batteries, which in turn power the electric motors that move the submarine and power other equipment. After passing the lighthouse on McNab's Island, however, the diesels must have been shut down. Just imagine how much better the shot above would have been if she hadn't? Actually you don't have to, because on Friday I caught her again in roughly the same location.

HMCS WINDSOR running her diesels.

Unfortunately, Friday was overcast, and didn't have the nice dawn sky for a background. Maybe next week?

HMCS WINDSOR.

While on the subject of WINDSOR running her diesels, I might as well dig up these 10 year old shots of WINDSOR transiting the narrows on her way to Bedford Basin.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

WINDSOR in May 2006.

Finally, some news on fleet disposals. HMCS PRESERVER moved south in the Dockyard this week. She will be paid off for the last time on Friday October 21. While still in commission, she has been stranded alongside for around 2 years, pretty much relegated to serving as a fuel barge.

HMCS PRESERVER on week prior to being paid off.

The former HMCS IROQUOIS will also soon be moving, when she leaves Halifax for the last time. It was announced this week that Iroquois will be heading for Liverpool to be broken up alongside ex-HMC Ships ALGONQUIN and PROTECTEUR, the former a sistership.

HMCS IROQUOIS in 2007.

Commercial traffic was also busy this week, and October is usually one of the busiest months for cruise ships. Wednesday saw at least 5 cruise ships, although two were rather small, and one had overnighted from Tuesday.

From left to right, Victory I, Pearl Mist, Crystal Serenity, and Zuiderdam.

Victory I, Pearl Mist, and Crystal Serenity in the background with Chebucto Pilot to the far right.

Victory I and Zuiderdam.

Speaking of Chebucto Pilot, I captured a nice image of her passing Georges Island, with sunlight reflected from a Halifax building illuminating her port side.

Chebucto Pilot.

Even without being part of a dastardly plot to capture HMCS ST. JOHN'S, Anthem of the Seas is an impressive sight. She is apparently the fourth largest cruise ship in the world (for now, anyway).

Anthem of the Seas.

Anthem of the Seas.

Serenade of the Seas seems small by comparison.

Serenade of the Seas.

Serenade of the Seas.

On Tuesday, Common Venture was at anchor after receiving fuel from Algoma Dartmouth.

Common Leader.

Veteran Atlantic Conveyor was threading her way out through the narrows, on what is probably one of her last trips before heading to the breakers. 

Atlantic Conveyor.

Nolhanava.

Coriolis II is the former CCGS John Jacobson. She was tied up at the former Dartmouth CCG base, which is now slated to become an ocean research facility. 

Finally, in case you missed it, I will mention my previous post with photos of the Picton Castle up on the Lunenburg Marine Railway.

Photos this week: October 1-7

I will start with the weekend, during which I managed to pop over to Lunenburg to see the sights there. This sailboat was sitting in her cradle next to the old Smith & Rhuland shed, which appears in the background.

I also caught up with the Blue Dream Project schooner, now named Mahayana, which was launched this summer and is being completed alongside a wharf in front of the old Smith & Rhuland shed where she was built.

Mahayana alongside a Lunenburg Wharf, with the Smith & Rhuland shed in the background.

The work week started out a bit rainy, and Monday was a bit of a loss for photos, however Tuesday was sunny again and made up for it with HMCS ST. JOHN'S getting her feet wet again after a maintenance period on the Syncrolift. The speed of the process took me by surprise a bit, in that I took too long getting my camera out to capture her with the keel blocks still showing.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S being lowered back into the water.

HMCS ST. JOHN'S being lowered back into the water.

By the end of the day when I returned to Dartmouth on the ferry, ST. JOHN'S was once again alongside one of the jetties.

Speaking of frigates on the Syncrolift, I should share a view of VILLE DE QUEBEC on the lift some years ago, from a slightly different (and more impressive) viewing angle.

VILLE DE QUEBEC on the Syncrolift. I don't remember how I got close enough to get this angle.

Wednesday brought with it a terrific fog that replicated the sea smoke that one normally expects in the dead of winter with temperatures of -17 Celsius or so. I turned around just at the right time to see HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC sneaking out of the fog bank.

HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC.

HMCS VILLE DE QUEBEC. Look carefully for the RHIB to the left of the photo.

Silhouetted against the rising sun and casting shadows in the fog, VILLE DE QUEBEC continued up the harbour and went to anchor.

VILLE DE QUEBEC at anchor.

Around the same time that morning, I captured an image I am calling "Last of the Old Guard": ATHABASKAN and PRESERVER are the only two HMC warships remaining to have been commissioned into the RCN before 1992 (I am being careful to specify warships here, because sail training vessel HMCS ORIOLE was commissioned in the 1950s), when the namesake ships of the HALIFAX class commissioned.

Last of the Old Guard: HMC Ships ATHABASKAN and PRESERVER. Despite the fog hiding the background, the sun is cutting through and illuminating both ships - a lucky catch!

Although a jetty queen and unable to go to sea due to corrosion issues in the hull, PRESERVER is nevertheless still in commission, but is due to be paid off on October 21, 2016. She has been used for alongside refueling in recent years. ATHABASKAN is scheduled to follow her in Spring 2017, the last of the IROQUOIS class destroyers to leave service.

From Cable Wharf I managed to get this shot of the Woodside Ferry heading to Dartmouth with the sun burning its way through the fog and cloud.

Sun, ferry, & fog. The sun is reminding me of the moon in this shot for some reason.

A day or two later, the sun cooperated for me and I caught it shining through the gun shield on HMCS SACKVILLE. 

HMCS SACKVILLE.

Cruise ship traffic continued unabated this week, with a total of five visiting on Friday, of which I only managed to photograph three.

Seven Seas Mariner appearing from behind George's Island.

Serenade of the Seas, Seven Seas Mariner, and Caribbean Princess.

Serenade of the Seas and Seven Seas Mariner.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend, everyone!