SS Whitesmith

The SS Whitesmith shipwreck consists of a wooden steam powered ferry that sank in Shuswap Lake, British Columbia, in 1941. The remains of the Whitesmith lie on a sloping silt bottom oriented on a 220 degrees true heading in 7 to 11 meters of water. The flat barge like hull is intact and, listing to the port, the first floor walls are intact.

The SS Whitesmith has significant historic value because it represents a vital supply and communication link for settlers and loggers in communities on the northern shores of Shuswap Lake. Built in Sicamous, BC, in 1929, the SS Whitesmith was instrumental in connecting the Railway and Hotel at Sicamous to communities on the North Shore of Shuswap Lake. The wreck's context and location are valued because it lies next to the site where it was built in Sicamous, the community for which it had a significant impact.

The vessel has scientific value as an example of the transition in steam vessel propulsion from paddle wheel to screw. The vessel has a unique flat wooden barge style hull and an iron covering that acted as an ice breaker during winter operation. The flat hull design produced a shallow draught vessel which could come in close to shore to pick up passengers and freight.

The SS Whitesmith also has historic and educational value because its hull can still be inspected by underwater archaeologists who can dive at the site and study the construction methods of the era. This value is acknowledged in a plaque on its deck, that was placed by the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia, describing the significance of the vessel.

The key elements that define the character of the SS Whitesmith include its:

- intact three dimensional hull

- plaque on its deck (placed by the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia) describing the significance of the vessel

- iron covered hull with a flat design

- context and location of the shipwreck in Shuswap Lake

- surviving elements of the vessels construction including its flat bottom, freight deck covering most of the main deck with a passenger deck and wheel house on top