Sidney E. Smith Jr. (donald B. Gillies, Grovedale Joseph G. Butler, Jr – Lake Ontario Freighter Shipwreck (1981)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Sidney E. Smith Jr.
• Type: Bulk Freighter
• Year Built: 1905
• Builder: American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio
• Dimensions: 525 × 55 × 31 ft; 6,588 GT / 5,174 NT
• Registered Tonnage: 7,368 GT / 5,233 NT
• Location: Burlington Bay, Hamilton, Ontario
• Official Number: US 202635
• Original Owners: Pioneer Steamship Co., Redwood Enterprises, International Cruising, Reoch Transports
• Number of Masts: Propeller (steam-powered)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type: Bulk Freighter

Description

Later Names: Donald B. Gillies (1935–1963), Grovedale (1963–1971), briefly Sidney E. Smith Jr. (1971–1981 registry)

History

Identification & Construction

• Built: 1905 by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, Ohio
• Dimensions (1905): 525 × 55 × 31 ft; 6,588 GT / 5,174 NT
• Metric (1963): 532.5 × 55 × 27 ft; 7,368 GT / 5,233 NT
• Hull: Riveted steel, Hull No. 00339
• Rig: Propeller (steam-powered)

Ownership & Name History

Period	Name	Owner
1905–1935	Joseph G. Butler, Jr.	Pioneer Steamship Co.
1935–1963	Donald B. Gillies	Pioneer Steamship Co.
1963–1971	Grovedale	Redwood Enterprises / Int’l Cruising Co.
1971–1981	Sidney E. Smith Jr.	International Cruising / Reoch Transports

• 1963: Re-measured under Canadian registry with updated tonnage/dimensions
• 1971: Sold for scrap to Strathearne Terminals

Significant Incidents

Significant Incidents

• Deregistration: Canadian Registry closed May 12, 1981
• Disposal: Towed from Toronto to Hamilton, ON (June 30, 1971) by tugs Lac Manitoba and Argue Martin
• Scuttled: Bow and stripped hulls intentionally sunk at the Steel Co. of Canada plant in Burlington Bay, forming a breakwater alongside the Henry R. Platt Jr.

Final Disposition

Final Disposition

• Current Status: Still buried underwater, integrated into the industrial shoreline fill structures in Burlington Bay/Hamilton Harbour

Current Condition & Accessibility

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Used as engineered shoreline fill within Hamilton Harbour, not considered a navigation hazard
• Modern environmental impact likely negligible; repeated industrial disturbance typical of mid-20th-century practices

Resources & Links

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The Joseph G. Butler, Jr. was a long-serving Great Lakes bulk freighter that saw extensive service under multiple names and owners. After retirement in 1971, she was scuttled to fortify Burlington Bay’s shoreline. Her remains now lie buried beneath the Steel Co. of Canada’s breakwater infrastructure.