Provincial Marine

Provincial Marine was a coastal protection service in charge of the waters in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control. While ships of the PM were designated HMS, they were more of a coast guard operations than a full fledge navy. Operations were maintained and staffed by the Royal Navy. Most ships of the Provincial Marine were built in the Great Lakes.

The Royal Navy was responsible for all other bodies of waters off Canada. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy also assumed direct control of the Provincial Marine's vessels in 1813, after the Provincial Marine performed poorly in 1812 against the Commodore Isaac Chauncey's American Lake Ontario squadron. Commodore James Lucas Yeo replaced most of the provincial officers with Royal Navy officers.

History

Prior to 19th Century, the Royal Navy and the French Navy had limited patrols in the water of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Some of the ships in the waterways included:

* The Griffin - later as Frontenac
* Outaouaise - barque
* The Montcalm ENG
* Les Evive (The Lively) ENG
* Le George (George) ENG
* Lactraguence
* Le Vigliant (The Vigilant)
* L'Ontario (The Ontario)
* La Marquise de Vaudrueil
* Le Victort
* La Huzalt
* La Louise
* Iroquois UK
* Seneca UK
* Oneida UK
* Onondago UK
* Mohawk UK
* Gladwin UK
* Lady Charlotte UK
* Victory UK
* Boston UK
* Brunswick UK
* Enterprise UK
* Mississaga UK
* Duke of Kent UK
* Cadwell UK
* Lady Dorchester UK
* Ontario UK

Creation of Great Lakes Navy

The service was created in 1812 to counter the activity of the United States Navy and remained in force until the Rush-Bagot Treaty was signed in 1817. While the treaty banned naval activity in the Great Lakes, the Provincial Marine was re-assigned under the waterborne arm of the Canadian Militia and later under the Militia Department. In 1910, the Provincial Marine was replaced by the Naval Service of Canada (under the Naval Service Act of 1910).

Bases

Lake Ontario
* Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard
* Naval Shipyards, York (Upper Canada)

Lake Erie
* Grand River Naval Depot
* Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard
* Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard

Georgian Bay/Lake Huron
* Pentanguishene Naval Yard

Fleet

* HMS "Caledonia"
* HMS "Confiance"
* HMS "Detroit"
* HMS "Duke of Gloucester"
* HMS "Earl of Moira"
* HMS "Nancy"
* HMS "Prince Regent"
* HMS "Princess Charlotte"
* HMS "Queen Charlotte"
* HMS "Royal George"
* "Simcoe"
* HMS "Sir Isaac Brock"
* HMS "St Lawrence"
* "Buffalo" - gunboat 1792
* "Catherine" - gunboat 1792
* "Sophia" - gunboat 1792
* "Swift" - gunboat 1798
* HMS "Speedy" 1798
* "Sir Sidney Smith" - schooner 1806
* HMS "Sir George Prevost" - schooner 1813
* "Psyche" - frigate 1814
* "Crystler" - gunboat 1814
* "Kingston" - gunboat 1814, steam vessel 1838
* "Niagara" - gunboat 1814
* "Queenston" - gunboat 1814
* "Beckwith" - transport 1816
* "Brock" - schooner 1817
* "Canada" - unfinished 1815
* "Wolfe" - unfinished 1815
* "Mohawk" - steam vessel 1843
* "Cherokee" - steam vessel 1841
* "Watertown" - passenger vessel 1864

See also

* Canadian Coast Guard
* Royal Canadian Navy
* Department of Marine and Fisheries
* Department of Transport
* Royal Navy

External links

* http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/usque-ad-mare/chapter02-02_e.htm
* [http://www.hhpl.on.ca/Greatlakes/Documents/Robert2/default.asp?ID=c001 Canadian Lake Navigation]