Description of Historic Place

The steam tug SS Point Grey lies under 13 meters of water to the Southeast of Virago Rock in Porlier Pass, British Columbia. The wreck site is 36m long and consists of two distinct pieces. The stern, with propellor still attached, is upside down. The forecastle is right side up and is a heavily deteriorated assortment of broken frames, beams, and steel plating. The boiler remains in position amid ship, but the engine has been salvaged.

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.

Heritage Value

The wreck of the SS Point Grey holds scientific, historic, and aesthetic value. Built in 1911, the tugboat served for 38 years hauling dredging scows and log booms up and down the coast. The vessel was wrecked when it struck Virago Rock on February 26, 1949, and remained visible above water until 1963 when it was swept underwater to its current location.

The wreck's historic and scientific values lie in the fact that it is the only extant example of a steel tug built in British Columbia specifically for service in the waters of the province. The vessel was the only steel tug constructed at Wallace Shipyards in North Vancouver and is representative of the working ships that populated the Burrard Inlet during the first half of the twentieth century. Log booms were a vital link in the forest resource chain, upon which much of the province's economic growth was based during this period.

The wreck also has aesthetic values, in part due to the unique way in which the vessel lies and in part due to the colorful marine life encrusting it. These values make it a particularly attractive destination for diving. An interpretive plaque on the fan tail of the stern provides information on the SS Point Grey, requesting that divers respect B.C.'s submerged heritage.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the SS Point Grey include:

- The intact but upside down stern portion of the hull
- The remains of the propeller which is in position at the stern
- The detached rudder
- The massive Scotch Marine fire tube boiler which remains in position amid-ship
- The remaining metal remnants of the bow