“Anyone with an interest in maritime history and vessels of all kinds—our floating heritage on the coast—has cause for celebration on the horizon.”
Wendy Moreton, Maritime Museum of BC Board Chair
The Maritime Museum of BC announced the creation of the Western Canada Heritage Vessel Registry (WCHVR); its inaugural application period for heritage vessel owners will open in early 2026.
MMBC Board Chair, Wendy Moreton, acknowledged that the maritime community has long called for initiatives to commemorate the impact of maritime heritage on the coast: “like the vessels themselves, these histories would be gone forever were it not for the dedication and passion of the vessel owners. These are incredible stories of design and craft, of work and recreation, and of industry and transportation systems that connect Western Canada to the world. The Maritime Museum of BC matches mariners’ intense affinity for all things maritime and, through the Western Canada Heritage Vessel Registry, will keep this information publicly available for research and learning.”
The WCHVR’s twofold impact will encourage the conservation of the vessels and preserve their detailed and significant histories for future generations to enjoy and research.
“A formal Registry of heritage vessels recognizes and celebrates the important ships and boats that have helped develop a region or country,” said WCHVR Committee member and project donor Robert Allan, “It acknowledges the work and accomplishments of the people who build and operate these ships carrying goods and services to coastal centres of our economy.”
This kind of initiative is not a new concept; Canada simply hasn’t caught up. Allan noted that “such registries exist in virtually every major maritime country, except Canada.
Moreton also recognized the very significant amount of work done over several years by the WCHVR Committee, whose work has culminated in today’s announcement. The WCHVR Committee members who have played a vital role in founding the Registry are Robert G. Allan, P. Eng. (retired naval architect and executive chairman of Robert Allan Ltd.) ,Tad Roberts (yacht designer), Bill Noon (Chair of MMBC Collections Committee) and John MacFarlane (Curator Emeritus of MMBC and founder of Nauticapedia): “We are pleased to note that this Committee will continue to oversee the operations and governance of the Registry as a program of MMBC.”
Meander, 1934, Robert Allan Ltd files.
Meander, image courtesy of Robert G. Allan
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.
The WCHVR’s first application period will be announced in the new year, with an application form and guidance released on the MMBC’s website at mmbc.bc.ca. Interested vessel owners should wait for the application materials to be released to begin their applications.
