SS Iroquois
Ferry · Canada · Lost 1911 · The British Columbia Coast
An overloaded Gulf Islands mail ferry capsized minutes after leaving Sidney in 1911, killing at least 21; nearby Cowichan canoeists saved several survivors.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built at Port Moody in 1900 for mail and passenger service between Sidney and Nanaimo, Iroquois made over 2,000 trips through the southern Gulf Islands. On 10 April 1911 she left Sidney overloaded with poorly secured cargo, including coal ballast and rice. Within fifteen minutes, still visible from the dock, she listed and sank in rough weather. At least 21 of the roughly 31 aboard drowned; three Cowichan First Nation men paddled out in canoes and rescued several survivors. Captain Albert Sears was tried and acquitted of manslaughter.
Vessel
- 1900
- Not established
- Port Moody, British Columbia
- Wood
- 82 ft
- Not established
- 100
- Steam, single screw
- T.W. Paterson / Victoria and Sidney Railway
Loss
- April 10, 1911
- Storm
- Near Canoe Pass, off Sidney, Vancouver Island
- Haro Strait approaches, Gulf Islands
- Sidney, British Columbia → Nanaimo, British Columbia, via the Gulf Islands
- Coal ballast, rice, and general freight
- 31
- 21
- Albert A. Sears
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 48.64° N 123.39° W
- Approximate position
- Sidney, Vancouver Island
Coordinates as recorded by Wikipedia for the loss near Sidney.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
The exact number aboard and precise wreck position are not consistently established across the sources reviewed.
Route history, rescue details, and salvage of the propeller and rudder.
Sidney Museum & Archives
Build details, route, and narrative of the sinking.
