The shipyard as photographed in 1863

The Shickluna Shipyard was crucial to the early history of Downtown St. Catharines. It operated from 1838 to 1901.[1] A previous shipyard existed in the location before Louis Shickluna started his own.[2] During his lifetime, an estimated 150 ships were built in the shipyard.[3]

History

The shipyard's namesake is Louis Shickluna, who emigrated from Malta.[4] He was from a family of shipbuilders.[5] He started working in a shipyard when he was 11 at the Royal Navy in Valletta. Shickluna emigrated after the local economy worsened so he could find work.[3] At first, he worked in Youngstown, New York.[6] Shickluna later moved to Trois-Rivières, Quebec, where he helped build the SS Royal William.[7] In 1836, he began leasing land for his own business in St. Catharines from William Hamilton Merritt for $15 annually. He hired more than 300 employees, many of whom were former slaves from the United States.[3] The location was ideal for a shipyard thanks to its proximity to the Welland Canal and the Great Lakes.[5] Shickluna invented the snub-nosed schooner design for use in ships traversing these waters.[6] After Shickluna's death in 1880, his son ran the shipyard until 1891. Then it was leased to the St. Catharines Box and Basket Company until 1901.[1]

Legacy

Monument commemorating the history of Shickluna Shipyard in Downtown St. Catharines

The site of the former shipyard is near Burgoyne Bridge and the Twelve Mile Creek.[4] This location has been the subject of archaeology digs. These digs began in 2019 but were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, before resuming in 2022.[8] The archaeology team was led by Kimberly Monk, a history professor at Brock University. She and other researchers recovered 2,000 artifacts from the site. The work was funded through a federal grant and corporate sponsors.[4]

A plaque commemorating Shickluna is present near the Welland Canal.[7] A mural commemorating the shipyard was produced by Matthew Vizbulis. His work was commissioned by the St. Catharines Downtown Association.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Zettel, Mike. "Public tours at Shickluna Shipyard archeological dig site". Niagara This Week. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Innes, Alison. "Public invited to learn history of Shickluna Shipyard at dig site open houses". Brock University. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Remembering the master shipbuilder Louis Shickluna". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Howard, Gord. "Sifting through the centuries at Shickluna site". Niagara Falls Review. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  5. 1 2 Snider, Charles (August 19, 1933). "HE BUILT 120 SHIPS — LOUIS SHICKLUNA — AND ALL WERE GOOD" (PDF). Toronto Telegram.
  6. 1 2 Bonavia, George; Warwick, Peter. "Louis Shickluna". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  7. 1 2 Mangion, Fabion. "Saluting Louis Shickluna, Senglea's master shipbuilder in Canada". Times Malta. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Tibollo, Nicholas. "Archaeological excavation of nearly two-century old shipyard continues in St. Catharines". The Niagara Independent. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Benner, Allan. "Mural artist Mathew Vizbulis brings Shickluna Shipyard to downtown St. Catharines". Toronto Star. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
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