News Release
For immediate release
Victoria, BC – 15 September 2026
Do you own a heritage vessel built in Canada? Is it registered in BC?
Your vessel could have a place on the Maritime Museum of BC (MMBC)’s new Western Canada Heritage Vessel Registry (WCHVR). The inaugural cohort of registrant vessels has just been announced, and applications for eligible vessels are now being accepted for the 2027 cohort.
“We all love a beautiful old boat,” said Wendy Moreton, MMBC Board Chair, “but this Registry goes beyond simple affinity. It brings to the surface stories of design and craft, work and recreation, and industry and transportation systems connecting Western Canada to the world.”
“The existence of this registry is long overdue, and will recognize those significant vessels who have helped to shape the maritime heritage of BC and all of western Canada, said Robert G. Allan, WCHVR Committee member and project donor: “It celebrates the people who designed, built and operated these important ships and their contributions to the economy and well-being of our Pacific coast communities. We are looking forward to the growth of this registry and the recognition it will bring to our maritime industries.”
Meander, 1934, image courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd files.
Meander, image courtesy of Robert G. Allan
“MMBC is the Registry’s administrator,” said Moreton, “we are the connector between the public and these remarkable heritage vessels. We see their legacies and rippling impacts from past to present to future; maritime history is extremely relevant to all of us in a modern world interconnected by contemporary ocean navigation and shipping.”
Objectives of the Registry
After the careful assessment of a selected group of vessels invited to trial the registration process in its first year, seven vessels have been registered as an inaugural cohort. These vessels are:
Dorothy – built in Victoria in 1897 by J.J. Robinson to a design by Linton Hope, Dorothy is reputed to be the oldest active sailing yacht in Canada. Through eleven different owners and ultimately owned by the Maritime Museum of B.C., she embodies the best of BC yacht construction of the late 19th century while creating a window into that period in the city of Victoria and its waterfront.
Master – designed and built in 1922 by the legendary Arthur Moscrop at his Beach Avenue Shipyard Ltd., the steam tug Master served the BC coast towing logs and barges under various owners for over 40 years. Saved and restored by the World Ship Society, later evolving into the SS Master Society, she has been a waterfront fixture for public education ever since. The iconic Master is believed to be the only wooden-hulled, steam powered tugboat afloat in the world today.
Meander – the classic motor yacht Meander was built for a prominent Vancouver businessman in 1934 at W.R. Menchions & Co. Ltd., to a design by Robert Allan. Her colorful career includes sessions as a private yacht, a coast mission vessel, a naval patrol vessel, a Greenpeace protest ship, and a family live-aboard.
Torhavn – built in 1939 by Hugh Rodd, Torhavn is an excellent example of a small subsistence fishing vessel, substantially intact and operating. Once prolific on this coast, there are no other known double-ended, live-well boats with an operating Easthope gas engine still afloat in BC.
Columbia III – the flagship of the Columbia Coast Mission, this renowned vessel brought hospital, dental and many other community services to the many regions of the BC coast. Built in 1956 by Star Shipyard (Mercer’s) Ltd to a design by Robert Allan, she served the Mission from 1956 to 1968 before moving into private hands. Today she serves as one of BC’s premier eco-tourism vessels for Mothership Adventures Ltd.
Falcon Rock – the lead boat of the famed “Rock” class Fishery Protection Vessels, the robust Falcon Rock was built for the federal Department of Fisheries in 1960 by McKay Cormack Ltd of Victoria to a design by W.M. Reid. She was retired and sold into private hands in 1981 and has cruised the coast extensively ever since.
Silver Ann – one of the last wooden gillnetters built in British Columbia, Silver Ann was built in 1969 at Britannia Shipyard in Richmond by Sadajiro Asari. The boat showcases Japanese-Canadian wooden construction techniques. The boat and its gear are one of the few existing examples of a pure gillnetter from that era.
Further information on these vessels can be found on Nauticapedia and the WCHVR web page.
Objectives of the Registry
The WCHVR’s purpose is to create a permanent, factual record of important heritage vessels built in Western Canada and promote public awareness of these vessels. The MMBC will hold these records in perpetuity, as part of its digital collection and archives, with a public digital record established. This includes vessels of all types: government, commercial, and pleasure.
Eligibility requirements include vessels being longer than 6m and over 50 years of age. Vessels under consideration will be assessed by a group of experts in the field, considering their historic, cultural, and societal significance and provenance.
The objectives of this initiative are:
- To recognize and commemorate the existing nautical and maritime heritage of British Columbia and Western Canada;
- To encourage the study and awareness of nautical and maritime heritage amongst the public;
- To inspire vessel owners to maintain their heritage and significant vessels at a high level and standard of preservation;
- To advocate for the sustainable conservation of nautical and maritime heritage—our floating heritage in Western Canada.
The goal of the project is to make a lasting contribution to the body of knowledge related to these significant vessels, and their roles in the history of Western Canada.
How to Apply
The WCHVR’s application period is now open, with an application form and guidance document released on the MMBC’s website.
Vessels will be assessed by a group of volunteer experts in the field using specific guidelines regarding each vessel’s historic, cultural, and societal significance and provenance.
There are three phases to the process, to be completed by the vessel’s owner or operator:
- Phase 1 – Application ($50 CAD fee)
- Vessels are reviewed for eligibility and suitability for assessment
- Phase 2 – Assessment ($150 CAD fee)
- Approved vessels are invited to be assessed in accordance with established guidelines
- Phase 3 – Registration ($125 CAD fee)
- Approved vessels are formally registered and the vessel owner receives a formal Statement of Significance, a medallion, and a WCHVR burgee.
- Presentation of the new Registrants will be made annually.
To be considered eligible for the Registry, vessels must be:
- Built in Canada;
- Currently registered or licensed in British Columbia;
- Currently afloat and in good condition;
- Currently more than 50 years since year built;
- And, not less than 6 m / 20’ in overall length.
Applications open on September 15 annually and close on March 31 of each year.
Applications will be processed upon receipt.
About the Maritime Museum of BC
The MMBC holds Victoria’s largest collection of maritime heritage, including over 40,000 objects, 12,000 archival photos, 35,000 ship’s plans, models, and much more. In pursuit of a permanent location on the waterfront with the Future of History project, the museum maintains a storefront gallery at 744 Douglas Street and a specialized storage facility in Saanich for its collection. As the WCHVR’s administrator, the MMBC continues its mission as the custodian of BC’s maritime heritage: to engage communities in witnessing and preserving maritime heritages.
To support the Maritime Museum of BC, or designate a gift specifically for the WCHVR, visit the MMBC’s donation page.
Info for the Public
Read through the application materials and guideline document here.
Apply here for the 2027 registry cohort, beginning on September 15, 2026.
All vessels accepted into the Registry will be identified on the MMBC’s website.
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For more information, contact:
Brittany Vis
Executive Director
The Maritime Museum of BC
250-900-8939
bvis@mmbc.bc.ca
