Toronto condo developers unearth 1830s schooner

At a condo development site in downtown Toronto, construction workers discovered what appears to be the oldest wreck ever found in the city: remnants of a 1830s schooner.

The ship’s 15-metre-long keel, the lower portions of its term and bow, and a section of the hull were found on a site on Queen’s Wharf Road, near Bathurst Street and Fork York Boulevard.

CTV News reported that archeologists had been monitoring the excavation since March, when excavators found evidence of a construction site dating back to the 1830s. Also found in the area were shoes, coins, cups, plates, and tools, all from the early 19th century.

According to BlogTO’s Chris Bateman, “The city stipulates that any new development on the old waterfront conduct an archaeological dig prior to construction.”

“This is a very exciting discovery. It is not too often we come across (vessels) from 1830, particularly in landfill rather than the water,” historian and York University archivist Michael Moir told the Toronto Star.

“This is Toronto’s maritime heritage,” he added. “It’s discoveries like this ship that remind us of how Toronto grew and developed into the city it is today.”

In the 1830s, the spot where the ship was found was covered in 2 metres of water, as the shoreline then stretched to Front Street.

So far, at least four ships have been found along the old waterfront — although some speculate that more may be buried beneath the city streets. This recent discovery is believed to be the oldest.

Archaeologist David Robertson told CTV Toronto that the site was once a major shipping hub, and that archeologists believe the schooner was deliberately sunk as a makeshift scaffolding for workers building up Queen’s Wharf.

Robertson couldn’t say whether or not researchers will be able to physically preserve the wreck, but told CTV, “If nothing else, it will be preserved as a written, graphic and digital archive.”