The Yellowknife Expeditor was a small freighter that operated in Canada's Arctic.[1] She was built for the United States Navy, during World War II, as a shallow draft Landing Craft Infantry, displacing approximately 250 tons.[2] She was acquired by the Yellowknife Transportation Company, who had her converted to carry passengers and freight at the Victoria Machinery Depot, in 1949.

Upon her arrival in Yellowknife, in the fall of 1949, she was said to be the biggest ship in the Mackenzie basin.[2]

Her main use was to provide twice weekly crossings from Hay River, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, then the terminus of the Mackenzie Highway, a dirt road to the south, and Yellowknife, on the north shore, the territorial capital.[3] She was able to carry up to 50 passengers, an up to 50 tons of refrigerated food, plus up to 200 tons of other cargo. Each crossing was estimated to take seven hours, and were scheduled for twice a week.

In 1957 she was damaged, when she struck a rock.[4] Her repairs included cutting down her superstructure and converting her to a tugboat.

References

  1. ↑ "Item N-1979-052: 6642". Northwest Territories Archive. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  2. 1 2 Norm Hacking (1953-08-13). "On the Waterfront: Kitimat Terminal to Open Week Early". The Province. p. 21. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  3. ↑ David Alan Harrison (1984). "Hay River, NWT. 1800-1950: A Geographical Study of Site and Situation". University of Alberta. Retrieved 2020-12-18. A converted landing craft, the Yellowknife Expeditor , could handle approximately 250 tons of cargo, 40 tons of refrigerated products and 50 passengers. Its shallow draft (2 m, 7 ft.) would enable it to enter the shallow Hay River channel under normal conditions. The travel time to Yellowknife was estimated at only seven hours.
  4. ↑ "Item N-1979-052: 0521". Northwest Territories Archive. Retrieved 2020-12-18. Note: The Yellowknife Expeditor hit a rock and was cut down for use as a tug.
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