Description of Historic Place

The Port Douglas is a 40-foot wooden tug that was beached at its present location just downstream from Harrison Lake on the Harrison River, British Columbia. The site is visible during autumn low tides however access can be difficult due to the surrounding sunken logs and snags.

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 Port Douglas wreck site holds scientific value as a rare example of an intact marine steam engine and boiler from the early 20th century as well as historical value due to its connection to logging in the Harrison area.

When the vessel was built it had a single cylinder high pressure steam engine with an 8 inch diameter cylinder and 10 inch stroke, constructed by Toronto's Polson Iron Works. This represents an uncommon and reasonably well-preserved example of marine engineering.

The Port Douglas was built by Vancouver's V.M. DaFoe then registered to a Harrison area lumberman Charles Fenn Pretty on June 8, 1910. The tug towed logs around the Harrison area for most of its service life.

On February 4, 1923 while towing cottonwood logs down the Harrison River, the Port Douglas began taking on water. The crew beached the tug at its present location to avoid sinking in deeper and more dangerous water.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Part Douglas are the:

- Engine and boiler atop the collapsed wooden hull