Particulars of War Vessels Building & Projected by Naval Service Headquarters (D. N. C. Dept.) 1943 � 1945 Queensville [CN885]. Janes Fighting Ships 1990 - 199l. Queensville [YTL 586]. Built by Russel Bros. Launched December 5, 1944. Canadian List of Ships 1994 � 95: Steel workboat Queensville [C.814269] built at Owen Sound in 1994 [sic] She measures 36'; 11 g.t.; 8 n.t. London Free Press, Night Final Edition, Thursday, May 29, 1952, p. 1: Navy Tug Goes Down. Queensville sunk at Port Arthur. Details. Owned by Robert David Mathews, R. R. 2, Port Dover. Canadian List of Ships 1997: Owned by Roy Wilson, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Transport Canada List 2003: Owned by Roy Wilson, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. RBF Notes: Hull 501. Note (May 28, 2018): "Queensville should still be at Avery's. Mary Wilson owns her."
Registry #814269. She was built in 1944 she built for the Royal Canadian Navy as YTL-586. In 1993 she was sold to Roy Wilson, Sault Ste Marie, ON.
1-150bhp diesel engine (1944).
Name 1 1944 Queensville (H.M.C.S.)
Name 2 1946 Queensville (C.N.A.V.)
Name 3 1970 Queensville (C.F.A.V.)
Name 4 1994 Queensville.
RBF notes (Feb. 2006): These clippings are all from "The News Chronicle" a Port Arthur, ON Paper at
the time. Found them in the Brodie Street Library here in Thunder Bay a couple of years ago.
HMCS Queensville. Training tug attached to HMCS Griffin in the 50 & 60's. Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Photo courtesy Mike Wolowich.
Jimmy Singleton comments (June 28, 2019): "HMCS Queensville was the Griffon's training tug back in the 60 & 70's. The RCNR in the 50, 60 & 70's used the Villes for Day & Night navigation, seamanship and rescue training. During the Second WW they were used for general Harbour Duties e.g. assist Warships , Merchantmen to Sea & to dock ,Torpedo net opening & closing, transfer manpower station to station etc. A side - We (HMCS Griffon) used to take the members of the Lakehead Power Squadron out for a sale in the Harbour along with at that time The Queensville ,The Alexander Henry and the RCMP Boat "Beaver". It was always later in the fall and it seemed it blew stink every year. We were OK on the Inner Harbour but when we headed outside the wall that Little Steel Tug was a Circus Ride. Before we headed out the South Gap we always had to pull over on the Kam River Dockage and transfer some of the members to the larger boats that would suffer from motion sickness and we were left with a handfull of the more daring that were snugging down their life jackets . I could just imagine during the war Blowing stink in St John NFLD , Halifax, Sidney Harbours on the little Villes. Probably a good start to riding a Corvette in the North Atlantic."
2003 Great Tugboat Race programme courtesy Jeanette Cox. "The Queensville was built in 1944 by Rusel Brothers of Owen Sound, Ontario. She was in Government service until 1992. She was purchased and brought home to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on June 15, 1995."
Queensville. Soo Great Tug Boat Race July 2004. Photo by Rob Farrow.
Jul 1, 2015: LOCAL2 cameras were on the scene as 16 vessels took part in the 34th annual Great Tugboat Race, held Saturday afternoon on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This four minute video features short interviews with Adam Lyons of Whitney III, Roy Wilson of Queensville, and Annette Currie of Mikayla. Also Marc Mousseau. Also footage of Boomalong, Scottish Thistle, Cobra and (briefly) W.D. McCosh. source: https://www.sootoday.com/videos/news/tugging-along-the-st-marys-river-11509
July 8, 2017. Great Tugboat Race skipper dies.
The long-running Great Tugboat Race has lost one of its skippers.
Roy Wilson, skipper of the Queensville, died Wednesday. He was 79.
Skipper's tug competed in the event's 0 to 200 horsepower class.
The retired Algoma Steel electrical department worker also supported his wife Mary and her Bandettes All-Girl Drum and Bugle Corps.
The Great Tugboat Race ran from 1982 to 2006 and raised about $300,000 to help children with physical disabilities in the Twin Saults. As of May 2018 the boat was in the Avery Construction yard and owned by Mary Wilson.
http://www.saultstar.com/.../great-tugboat-race-skipper-dies
QUEENSVILLE Dec. 2018: Appraised at $50,000 CAD. Jeff Avery from Avery Construction in the Soo sent this message: "The Queensville belongs to Mary Wilson, Mary's Husband Roy passed away in July 2017 and again was a great friend and avid tugger, Mary would like to sell the Queensville and if you know of someone that may be interested please give them my contact information. Jeff Avery jeff@averyconstruction.ca Mobile: (705) 257-1901 Avery Construction
Office: (705) 759-4800, Fax: (705) 759-6775 940 Second Line W, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
For more Russel exhibits visit Owen Sound Marine & Rail Museum 1165 1st Ave West, Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K8 (519) 371-3333 http://marinerail.com
http://marinerail.com
