Forging Canada’s Pacific Gateway
“The sea, more than the land, was the crucible in which Canada’s western destiny was forged. The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company was more than a fleet of ships—it was a bridge between continents, a projection of Canadian ambition into the vastness of the Pacific.” — Barry Gough, Fortune’s a River (2007)
Introduction: An Empire of Steel and Steam
It began with a railway—a monumental feat of engineering and political will that united the scattered colonies of British North America into a single nation. But the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was never just about steel tracks and locomotives. From the outset, its architects saw it as part of a larger, more ambitious project: a transpacific trading empire that would place Canada at the heart of global commerce. The railway would carry goods and people to the western terminus at Vancouver, but from there, another link was needed—one that would span the Pacific and connect Canada to the great ports of Asia.
This was the vision that gave birth to the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (CPSC). Founded as a subsidiary of the CPR in 1891, the steamship line would grow into one of the largest and most prestigious maritime enterprises in the world. Its sleek “Empress” liners would become icons of Canadian engineering and maritime power, steaming across the Pacific from Vancouver to Yokohama, Shanghai,
and Hong Kong with a precision that mirrored the regimented schedules of the transcontinental railway. The ships carried more than cargo—they carried the promise of a nation staking its claim to the Pacific.
The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company was not simply a shipping line; it was the maritime extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s imperial and economic ambitions. Its ships transformed Vancouver from a rough-hewn railway terminus into a bustling Pacific port, shaping the city’s rise as a centre of trade, immigration, and industry. The story of the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company is the story of how Canada’s westernmost province reached out across the ocean and, in doing so, reshaped its identity and place in the world.
Origins and Ambition: The Railway to the Pacific
The idea for a transpacific shipping line was born in the mind of William Cornelius Van Horne, the hard-driving American railway magnate who had overseen the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. Van Horne was a man of boundless energy and audacity—a builder who saw connections where others saw only obstacles. He knew that the CPR could not thrive as a mere domestic railway; it needed to be part of a larger transportation network that extended beyond Canada’s borders.
Van Horne’s vision was clear: the CPR would carry passengers and goods from the heart of Canada to Vancouver, where steamships would carry them onward to Asia and beyond. This would not only make the railway profitable—it would make Canada a global trading power. “If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists,” Van Horne famously quipped, but he understood that trade—not tourism—was the key to making the CPR sustainable.
In 1887, the CPR chartered its first transpacific steamships from the Cunard Line: the SS Abyssinia, SS Parthia, and SS Batavia. These early vessels were functional but uninspired—aging ships designed more for practicality than prestige. They established the first regular transpacific shipping route from a Canadian port, linking Vancouver to Yokohama and Hong Kong. The route proved profitable enough that the CPR decided to build its own fleet.
In 1891, the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company was formally established. The first purpose-built ships—SS Empress of India, SS Empress of Japan, and SS Empress of China—were launched that same year. These weren’t just ships; they were floating embassies of Canadian ambition. Built in British yards, the Empress liners were fast, luxurious, and striking. Their white hulls, gleaming brass fittings, and billowing smoke stacks made them a symbol of Canadian engineering and imperial pride. The “Empress” liners were to the Pacific what the White Star Line’s great transatlantic ships were to the Atlantic—a statement of national confidence and capability.
Expansion and Global Reach
The success of the Empress liners marked the beginning of an era of rapid expansion for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. By the early 20th century, the CPSC had extended its reach far beyond the Pacific:
- The transpacific service remained the flagship route, with regular sailings from Vancouver to Yokohama, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
- After acquiring the Allan Line in 1915, the company added transatlantic routes, with regular service from Montreal to Liverpool and other major European ports.
- The company’s coastal services connected Vancouver to Victoria, Seattle, and San Francisco.
- By the 1920s, the company was operating round-the-world cruises, with Vancouver as a key embarkation point.
The fleet expanded rapidly during this period. The Empress liners were joined by the SS Empress of Russia and SS Empress of Asia (both launched in 1913), which became the flagships of the transpacific service. The company’s reputation for speed and luxury attracted a wealthy clientele, and the Empress liners became known for their fine dining, comfortable cabins, and elegant lounges.
“The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company wasn’t just transporting passengers—it was exporting an image of Canada as a modern, sophisticated nation,” wrote historian Robert Turner. The liners were showcases of Canadian craftsmanship and hospitality,
reinforcing Canada’s presence on the global stage.
Vancouver: The Gateway to the Pacific
Vancouver was the heart of the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company’s network. The CPR had deliberately chosen Vancouver as the western terminus of the railway, and it was here that the CPSC’s great steamers docked before embarking across the Pacific. The construction of CPR Pier in Vancouver’s harbour created a seamless connection between rail and ship. Passengers could step off a train from Montreal or Toronto and walk directly onto an Empress liner bound for Asia.
This connection transformed Vancouver from a sleepy outpost into a bustling Pacific port. Trade flourished, immigration surged, and Vancouver rapidly became one of the busiest and most diverse cities in Canada. The port’s strategic position made it the linchpin of Canada’s Pacific trade, and the CPSC’s fleet was the engine driving this economic boom.
“Without the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company, Vancouver would have remained an outpost,” wrote Barry Gough. “The steamers transformed the city into a Pacific gateway.”
War, Decline, and Legacy
The Empress liners played a crucial role during both World War I and World War II. Several ships were requisitioned for use as troop transports and hospital ships. The SS Empress of Ireland was tragically lost in the St. Lawrence River in 1914, one of the worst maritime disasters in Canadian history.
After the wars, the rise of aviation and container shipping eroded the profitability of ocean liners. By the 1960s, passenger service was no longer economically viable, and the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company began to withdraw from the shipping business. The last Empress liners were retired in the early 1970s, and the company was absorbed into Canadian Pacific Limited.
But the legacy endured. Vancouver’s position as a major Pacific port was cemented by the infrastructure and trade routes established by the CPSC. The company’s ships had linked Canada to the world and made Vancouver a global city.
Conclusion: The Engine of Canadian Ambition
The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company was more than a business—it was the maritime arm of Canadian ambition. Its steamers carried more than passengers and cargo; they carried the promise of a nation asserting itself on the global stage. From the white-hulled Empress liners to the bustling port of Vancouver, the CPSC shaped Canada’s place in the world and left a legacy that endures in the heart of British Columbia’s Pacific coast.
References
- Gough, Barry. Fortune’s a River: The Collision of Empires in Northwest America. Harbour Publishing, 2007.
- Turner, Robert. Pacific Empresses. Sono Nis Press, 1977.
- Barman, Jean. The West Beyond the West. University of Toronto Press, 1991.
