SS Prince George

The Grand Trunk Steamship Prince George, and her sister ship the SS Prince Rupert, served the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. Originally these vessels served regular runs from Seattle to Victoria, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Stewart, Alaska. Seattle and Victoria were dropped from the route after a few years and Skagway, Alaska, was added. The Prince George served briefly as a Royal Canadian Navy hospital ship in 1914. From 1925, ownership of both Princes was transferred along with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway system to the Government of Canada to be operated as part of the Canadian National Railway.

In 1910 Prince Rupert was beginning to develop into a city. Both the Prince ships were built in 1909. The Prince George was completed three months later. By 1910 both ships began service on the coast of British Columbia.

In 1945 the Prince George was lost after it caught fire and destroyed in Ketchikan, Alaska. Her sister ship survived and stayed in service till her retirement in 1956. After the loss of the Prince George, CN put a contract for a second (new) Prince George. This ship was launched October 6, 1947, and placed in service on the Alaska route in June 1948.