SS Aberdeen launched by Canadian Pacific Railway as the first steamship on Okanagan Lake

Photo: Summerland Museum & Archives Society

The SS Aberdeen at the wharf in Lower Summerland in 1905.

In celebration of National Maritime Day, the Summerland Museum & Archives Society shared history on the SS Aberdeen this week.

"This year, National Maritime Day holds extra significance for us as it marks 132 years to the day since the SS Aberdeen was launched on May 22, 1893 from Okanagan Landing (located southwest of Vernon)," the museum shared in their post.

"Pictured here in 1905 at the wharf in Lower Summerland, the SS Aberdeen carried passengers and cargo up and down Okanagan Lake for 26 years."

The steamship was the first to set sail on Okanagan Lake, spending years helping connect rural communities and transporting goods.

Commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the ship could carry up to 250 passengers and 200 tons of cargo.

"The SS Aberdeen ran three round trips per week from Penticton to Okanagan Landing with service suspended during the winter months. Originally wood-fired, the SS Aberdeen was converted into a coal-burning vessel in 1902."

Come just two years later, the SS Aberdeen struggled to handle the increasing traffic on the lake.

The SS Okanagan set sail in 1907 to take over the work of the passenger load.

"As she transitioned to primarily cargo transport, her time on the water was drawing to a close. She was retired in 1916, her hull sold for just $35, a modest sum for a vessel that was the first of her kind on Okanagan Lake," the museum added.

"The SS Aberdeen was once a familiar sight at the wharf in Lower Summerland, carrying new families and their belongings as they settled into the growing community."

Since it would be decades before a major highway and Kelowna's first floating bridge would officially opened in 1958, steam-powered transportation played key part in shaping the Okanagan.

"Though the SS Aberdeen has long since disappeared from our waters, today—on her 132nd birthday—we can look back and appreciate the monumental impact she had," the museum said.

"We extend our gratitude to the mariners—past and present—whose dedication has shaped our history. Their efforts, from steamships like the SS Aberdeen to modern vessels, have helped connect communities and build lasting legacies."

National Maritime Day recognizes the "vessels and crews who have shaped transportation, trade, and exploration across the world’s waterways."

The Summerland Museum & Archives Society shares photos and information from their archives every week for Throwback Thursday on their social media, which can be found online here.