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The Canadian Pacific Line was a company under the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Canadian Pacific Railway Company was formed in 1881, and the company soon entered into ship-owning. In the beginning limited to transportation along Lake superior and the Great Lakes.

The transatlantic passenger service however, was not started before in 1903, when CPR took over the ships and service of the Beaver Line. The division was managed as the "Canadian Pacific Ocean Services" (C.P.O.S.).

Their first general agent in Norway was Albert Raffel in Kristiania (Oslo). In Trondhjem (Trondheim) the company was represented by head agent Oluf Ruud.

Canadian Pacific Line offices in Trondhjem
Picture of the Canadian Pacific Line
head offices in Trondhjem

This picture shows emigrants waiting outside the Canadian Pacific Line office waiting for the departure. The office was situated in Fjordgaten near the railway station and the harbor. From the office the emigrants would be escorted by the agents to the steamer, waiting just 2 minutes walk away, to take them to England. In England they would transfer to the transatlantic steamer for the ocean crossing. The head agent, Oluf Ruud was announcing in the newspapers with promises of good job opportunities in Canada.

The line's general agent was authorized by the Norwegian government to convey emigrants via England from Liverpool (or Bristol) to Quebec, St.John NB, Halifax, Montreal or Boston, and from there to the final destinations in America. The inland voyage naturally by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The police department in Kristiania was informed on Oct. 13th 1903 that the Beaver Line had changed name to Canadian Pacific Railway Co's Atlantic Line.

Their main transatlantic routes were:
Liverpool - Quebec - Montreal (summer)
Liverpool - St John, NB (winter)


Route traversed in Liverpool by C.P.O.S. motor charabancs. It shows the Empress of France on the Mersey. Routes from Lime St. Station & Hotel, Exchange Station Hotel and Central Station to Offices of C.P.O.S. down Water Street. Riverside Street & Princes Stage for C.P.O.S. passengers
Route traversed in Liverpool by C.P.O.S. motor charabancs. It shows the Empress of France on the Mersey.
Routes from Lime St. Station & Hotel, Exchange Station Hotel and Central Station to Offices of C.P.O.S. down Water Street.
Riverside Street & Princes Stage for C.P.O.S. passengers
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In 1917 the CPR absorbed the Allan Line. The Allan Line ships were then integrated with the CPR fleet.

The Collision between the S/S Empress of Ireland and the S/S Storstad - An article by Marion Kelch, chairperson of the Empress of Ireland Artifacts Committee. The Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River the night of May 29, 1914, after colliding with the Norwegian collier S/S Storstad. The accident took 1012 lives of which 14 were Norwegians. The Empress of Ireland is the world's second worst sinking, in peacetime, after the Titanic until 1987 when over 3000 persons lost their lives when a ferry sank in the Philippines.

Canadian Pacific Line picture gallery

Fleet list:
 TypeName of ship  SortYear Built   SortConstruction Shipyard   SortTonnage (burthen)   Sort
  S/SSardinian1874 Robert Steele & Co. 4 399 gross 
  S/SPomeranian1882 Earle‘s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. 4 364 gross 
  S/SEmpress of India (1)1890  5 905 gross 
  S/SEmpress of China (1)1891  5 905 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Japan (1)1891  5 905 gross 
  S/SMilwaukee1896 C. S. Swan & Hunter 7 323 gross 
  S/SMontrose (1)1897 Raylton Dixon & Co. 7 094 gross 
  S/SMonterey1897 Palmer‘s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. 5 455 gross 
  S/SMontcalm (1)1897 Palmer‘s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. 5 505 gross 
  S/SScandinavian1898 Harland & Wolff 12 099 gross 
  S/SMount Royal1898 C. S. Swan & Hunter 7 044 gross 
  S/SScotian1898 Harland & Wolff 10 322 gross 
  S/SMarglen1898 Harland & Wolff 10 322 gross 
  S/SMonteagle1898 Palmer‘s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. 5 498 gross 
  S/SMontfort1899 Palmer‘s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. 5 519 gross 
  S/SLake Eire1899 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 7 550 gross 
  S/SSicilian1899 Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. 7 328 gross 
  S/STyrolia1899 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 7 550 gross 
  S/SMontezuma1899 Alexander Stephen & Sons 7 345 gross 
  S/SLake Champlain1900 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 7 392 gross 
  S/SMarburn1900 Alexander Stephen & Sons 10 576 gross 
  S/SMontreal1900 C. S. Swan & Hunter 6 870 gross 
  S/SMonmouth1900 Raylton Dixon & Co. 4 078 gross 
  S/STunisian1900 Alexander Stephen & Sons 10 576 gross 
  S/SCorinthian1900 Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. 7 333 gross 
  S/SPretorian1900 Furness, Withy & Co. 7 654 gross 
  S/SRuthenia1900 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 7 392 gross 
  S/SIonian1901 Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. 8 268 gross 
  S/SLake Manitoba1901 C. S. Swan & Hunter 9 674 gross 
  S/SLake Michigan1901 C. S. Swan & Hunter 9 240 gross 
  S/SMount Temple1901 Armstrong Whitworth & Co. 8 790 gross 
  S/SMarloch1904 Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. 10 635 gross 
  S/SVictorian1904 Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. 10 635 gross 
  S/SVirginian1904 Alexander Stephen & Sons 10 757 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Britain (1)1905 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 14 189 gross 
  S/SMontroyal1905 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 14 189 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Scotland (1)1905 AG Vulcan 25 037 gross 
  S/SMontreal (2)1906 Blohm & Voss 8 766 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Ireland1906 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 14 191 gross 
  S/SCorsican1907 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 11 419 gross 
  S/SEmpress of India (2)1907 J. C. Tecklenborg 16 992 gross 
  S/SMontnairn1907 J. C. Tecklenborg 16 992 gross 
  S/SPrinz Friedrich Wilhelm1907 J. C. Tecklenborg 16 992 gross 
  S/SMontlaurier1907 J. C. Tecklenborg 16 992 gross 
  S/SHesperian1907 Alexander Stephen & Sons 10 955 gross 
  S/SGrampian1907 Alexander Stephen & Sons 10 955 gross 
  S/SMarvale1907 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 11 419 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Russia1912 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 16 810 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Asia1912 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 16 909 gross 
  S/SEmpress of France (1)1913 William Beardmore & Co. 18 481 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Australia1913 AG Vulcan 21 833 gross 
  S/SAlsatian1913 William Beardmore & Co. 18 481 gross 
  S/SMelita1913 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 13 967 gross 
  S/SMissanabie1914 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 12 469 gross 
  S/SMetagama1914 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 12 420 gross 
  S/SMinnedosa1917 Barclay, Curle & Co. Ltd. 13 972 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Canada (1)1920 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 21 517 gross 
  S/SMontrose (2)1920 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 16 402 gross 
  S/SMontcalm (2)1920 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 16 418 gross 
  S/SMontclare1921 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 16 314 gross 
  S/SEmpress of France (2)1928 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 20 123 gross 
  S/SDuchess of York1928 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 20 021 gross 
  S/SDuchess of Bedford1928 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 20 123 gross 
  S/SDuchess of Atholl1928 William Beardmore & Co. 20 119 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Japan (2)1929 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 26 032 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Scotland (2)1929 Fairfield Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. Ltd. 26 032 gross 
  S/SEmpress of Britain (2)1930 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 42 348 gross 

Note:
You can click the Sort icon icon to sort the table by different parameters.
 
Some companies may have had additional ships in their fleets to those mentioned above. They might not have been included if the ships were not engaged in the conveyance of emigrants. Some ships mentioned in the fleet lists may have been chartered from other companies, see the ship's description and history for more details.

Emigrant Ship databases

Agents & Shipping lines
Shipping lines, Norwegian agents, authorizations, routes and fleets.

Emigrant ship Arrivals
Trond Austheim's database of emigrant ship arrivals around the world, 1870-1894.

Norwegian departures
100 Years of Emigrant Ships from Norway - indexed by year 1825-1925
Passenger lists
Norwegian Emigrants 1825-1875 Pre 1875 Norwegian emigrants, passenger lists
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Articles
A selection of articles dedicated to help you in your genealogy search for your Norwegian ancestors. Transcripts and pictures of historic documents in connection with the ships and emigration. Also including articles about Pioneers & Norwegian Settlements Around the World
Articles about selected ships ships and special events in their history. Descriptions of some of the great maritime disasters involving emigrant ships, like the wrecking of the steamer Atlantic of the White Star Line, sinking of the ocean liner Empress of Ireland and the Thingvalla line steamer Norge disaster. Check this section if you have an interest in shipwrecks.
This section contains articles describing the transatlantic voyage, the condition of the steerage accommodations and the experience of an ocean travel on an emigrant ship. You will find in-depth studies concerning the emigration process, statistics and facts, and information about the immigration processing centers line Castle Garden and Ellis Island.
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