John Hanlan (1884)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: John Hanlan
• Type: Screw Steamer Ferry
• Year Built: 1884
• Builder: Abbey Brothers Shipyards, Port Dalhousie, Ontario
• Dimensions: 100 ft (30.48 m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Sunnyside Beach, Lake Ontario
• Original Owners: Toronto Ferry Company (later TTC)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

(Screw Steamer Ferry)

Description

Vessel Overview

• Built: 1884 at Abbey Brothers Shipyards, Port Dalhousie, Ontario
• Operator: Toronto Ferry Company (later TTC) from approximately 1918–1927
• Type: Wooden-hulled, screw-driven ferry, approximately 100 ft in length
• Named after John Hanlan, founder of Hanlan’s Point amusement site and father of Ned Hanlan.

History

Service Life & Retirement

• Served Toronto Island routes until the Toronto Transit Commission assumed control in 1927.
• Found to be in poor condition and retired from service.

Significant Incidents

Final Disposition – S.S. John Hanlan

• On July 19, 1929, the retired John Hanlan was intentionally burned off Sunnyside Beach on Lake Ontario, as a public spectacle marking the end of its service life.
• The burning drew crowds and was part of a pattern where other decommissioned fleet vessels were similarly disposed of in public display burnings.

Final Disposition

Historical Context

• The practice emerged during transit authority changes and waterfront entertainment culture: spectators gathered at Sunnyside to watch ceremonial burnings of obsolete ferries from Island service.
• The ceremonial destruction served as a form of civic theater and marked the transition toward modern vessel fleets.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Conclusion

The John Hanlan did not sink in the traditional sense—she was ceremonially burned in open lake waters, intentionally scuttled in place for spectacle. This disposal reflects a unique facet of Toronto’s waterfront history, where obsolete urban ferries were publicly destroyed rather than quietly scrapped or buried. The event was part of a broader pattern: several other wooden ferries from the early 20th-century fleet met the same fiery end in 1929–1930.

Resources & Links

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