A proud shipyard history

Point Hope Maritime celebrates 150 years of maritime industry on Victoria’s upper harbour this year. First established in 1873, it’s strategic location on the west shore of the harbour was ideal for shipbuilding due to the deep, protected waters, and access to a supply of timber.

A century and a half later, the Point Hope Maritime is a vibrant full-service shipyard with two locations in Victoria B.C. specializing in repair, conversion, refit, and maintenance activities for vessels up to 360 metres.

On any given day, as many as 300 people are working on the Harbour Road site, including 175 permanent employees and an abundance of local sub-contractors.

In 1873, the shipyard that would one day become Point Hope was known as Colling and Cook’s Ways. By 1888, the shipyard was called Clark and Turpel’s Shipyard. While the business went through several other name changes over the next 40 years, William Turpel and later his sons, Samuel and Emmerson, continued to own the business.

The shipyard was leased by the Foundation Company in 1917, which built 24 steam-powered wooden cargo freighters that were up to 91 metres long. Eleven years later, the Turpel family sold to Captain W.E. Gardner, who in turn sold it in 1938 to two local tug companies: Island Tug and Barge Limited and Victoria Tug Company. The yard was renamed Point Hope Shipyards Limited.

Changes in another B.C. shipbuilding and repair company brought a change in ownership for Point Hope in 1969, when Genstar Ltd. bought Island Tug and Barge and merged it the following year with another Genstarowned marine business, Vancouver Tug. Jointly owned by Genstar and the Dillingham Corporation, the new company was named Seaspan.

After 16 years of overseeing operations at Point Hope, Seaspan opted in 1986 to move the work it was doing at Point Hope to Vancouver. At that point, 30 of the company’s Victoria employees decided to resign from Seaspan and buy the Point Hope shipyard. Each invested $5,000 in their new business venture.

B.C. shipbuilding then fell on hard times. Reasons ranged from shifting political priorities to aging infrastructure, skilled worker shortage, competition from governmentowned shipyards, and a period of public perception that the marine industry was “dirty” and ought to be eradicated. Shipyard owners stopped investing in their businesses.

The employees-turned-entrepreneurs kept Point Hope operating into the mid-1990s, but by 1996 the business was in bankruptcy protection.

Two years later, a group of four local men brought together by John Sanderson, a former engineer and commercial fisherman, bought Point Hope out of bankruptcy. A few good years followed for the shipyard, but by 2003, it was bankrupt a second time.

A new chapter for the shipyard came in the form of Ian Maxwell, a Victoria industrialist and owner of the Ralmax Group of Companies. Maxell bought Point Hope out of bankruptcy in 2003 at the encouragement of the local municipal government.

Fuelled by Maxwell’s dedication to industrial lands and jobs, the shipyard entered a new era. Maxwell shut the shipyard down and undertook a three-year, $20-million facility-wide upgrade, phase one of a three phase modernization and business expansion plan that rolled out over the next decade. By 2008, only six of the 16 shipyards that once dotted the harbours of Victoria and Vancouver were still standing, and Point Hope was one of them. With its new marine turntable, expanded marine railway, and its deep-water berths, Point Hope was thriving.

In 2014, Point Hope purchased the shipyard land from the B.C. government as part of a land swap with the City of Victoria. The purchase secured Point Hope’s future as a shipyard and was a catalyst for further investment.

In 2019, Point Hope acquired the Esquimalt Dry Dock Company (EDC) giving Point Hope access to new business opportunities at the federally owned Esquimalt Graving Dock. With the asset purchase came new employees contributing new skill sets to the growing team at Point Hope.

Today, Point Hope Maritime is a bustling full-service shipyard with two locations. The shipyard’s Harbour Road facilities offer plate burning and metals supply, a 12-tonne marine railway system, machining & metal fabrication shops, dry-berth transfer, and several specialized workshops.

Point Hope Maritime is marking its 150 years history on the west shore of Victoria’s upper harbour with a community open house on Sunday, June 18. Everyone is welcome! Ü

Point Hope Maritime is a full service shipyard with two locations strategically located in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Recognized for our project management expertise, we offer our clients reliable dry-docking and along-side ship repair, conversion, refit and maintenance services for all types of vessels. We work to the highest professional standards and have earned our success by consistently providing safe, efficient and high quality services delivered by skilled employees.

Point Hope Maritime

345 Harbour Road, Victoria, BC V9A 3S2 250-385-3623 | info@pointhopemaritime.com pointhopemaritime.com