Lake Nipissing’s history with steamboats began in the late 19th century when the Canadian Pacific Railway reached its shores around 1881. Prior to that, steamships had been widely used in British North America and later Canada. The arrival of steamships on Lake Nipissing opened up new transportation opportunities for the area’s rich natural resources, which were being exploited by pioneers and settlers. These steamships played a crucial role in supplying hunting and logging camps, transporting timber to local mills and railway junctions, and facilitating trade with southern markets. The steamship era on Lake Nipissing reached its peak in the 1920s but eventually came to an end when diesel engines replaced steam propulsion methods.
One notable steamship that operated on Lake Nipissing was the John B. Fraser. Built in 1888 by Alexandre Fraser, the owner of the Alexandre Fraser Lumber company, the 100-foot-long vessel was intended for the transportation of timber and loggers in his operations. It was named after his brother, John Fraser, with whom he collaborated in harvesting the McGillivray Lake timber limits. However, after a few years of service on the lake, Alexandre Fraser sold the ship to Davidson, Hayes and Company, a lumber company from Toronto, in 1892.
On November 8, 1893, tragedy struck the John B. Fraser during its final voyage of the season. As approximately six crew members were transporting around 20 lumberjacks and supplies to a hunting camp, disaster struck in the middle of Lake Nipissing. A fire broke out in the engine room, rapidly engulfing the area in flames. The fire’s intensity and the extreme heat prevented any effective intervention. Although the captain ordered the engine to be stopped, the engineer was unable to reach the lever, and it is believed that he perished in the furnace room. As a result, the ship continued moving forward while the passengers and crew abandoned it.
The ship burned rapidly, forcing the men to jump into the waters of Lake Nipissing. Some survivors managed to reach a scow that the ship was towing, using it as a makeshift lifeboat. One crew member, John Adams, was thrown from the ship but was rescued by four men on the scow. Using his pocketknife, Adams severed the tie between the scow and the burning John B. Fraser. Unfortunately, the majority of those on board did not survive the tragedy.
Estimating the exact number of casualties has been challenging due to poor record-keeping at the time. Initial reports claimed 18 deaths, while later accounts suggested 19 or 13 out of the 17 individuals on board. The wreck of the John B. Fraser came to rest on the lake floor in the middle of Lake Nipissing, near Goose Islands.
In 1972, the Aqua Jets Diving Club discovered the wreck but lacked the necessary resources to remove it from its resting place. The wreck was later examined by Bessel VandenHazel, an archaeologist and outdoor education specialist from Nipissing University. The artifacts recovered from the ship, including the steam whistle, are now displayed at the Callander Bay Heritage Museum. Some artifacts can also be found at the North Bay Museum, where mysterious occurrences have been reported, leading to speculation about hauntings and the presence of the loggers’ lost spirits.
The wreck of the John B. Fraser remains the deadliest disaster in the history of Lake Nipissing. The circumstances surrounding the tragedy have left questions unanswered. The shallowness of the lake may have contributed to a sense of complacency among the crew, as they likely considered the idea of the lake becoming their final resting place highly improbable. Additionally, the fact that it was the last trip of the season may have led to a relaxation of safety
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