Century-old Daniel McAllister tugboat restored at Montreal quays

The following is the text of a press release issued by the Old Port of Montreal:
 

(MONTREAL) — Hidden under tarpaulins since January, the tugboat DANIEL MCALLISTER has come out of hiding to display its absolutely remarkable new look to passers-by!

Nearly three months of meticulous work were required to restore the
DANIEL MCALLISTER to its original pride! Its exterior and life boat were
repainted in their original colours; its hull was repaired; its woodwork,
identification plates, portholes, and navigation and search lights were also
restored.

Tugboats are small, powerful boats that guide, tow and push ships
entering and leaving the port and assist them in docking. They are
indispensable to port operations.

A century and counting

The Daniel McAllister is the largest preserved tug in Canada and the
second-oldest preserved oceangoing tug in the world. The Canadian Cultural
Property Export Review Board has recognized her as being of exceptional
importance.

Over the years, the Daniel McAllister has undergone several
transformations, changing workplaces and names several times. Originally
launched as Helena in 1907, she began service on the Atlantic coast. In the
1940s, while working on the Great Lakes, her steam engine was replaced with a
more powerful diesel engine. After a major refit in 1956, she was renamed
Helen M.B. Later, in the 1960s in Montréal, McAllister Towing Limited named
her Daniel McAllister, after a member of this important family of ship owners.
She was finally retired from service in the 1980s.

An important partnership

When the Ocean Group purchased Montréal’s McAllister Towing Limited in
1997, the Daniel McAllister was acquired by the Musée maritime du Québec,
which partnered with the Old Port of Montréal Corporation to ensure the ship’s
preservation. The Old Port of Montréal Corporation acquired the ship in 2008.
The mission of the Musée maritime du Québec is to safeguard, study,
disseminate, and enhance Québec’s maritime heritage, including its Arctic
territory.

The tugboat DANIEL MCALLISTER awaits admiring visitors at the dock of
gate number one of the Lachine Canal, off the Old Port of Montréal Quays, at
the foot of McGill St., just west of the Café des Eclusiers, in Old Montréal.
Interlag made the restoration under the supervision of the naval architect
Raymond Daoust.

The Old Port of Montréal acknowledges its sponsors, Sleeman, Pepsi and
Telus.

By Professional Mariner Staff