Saint John River Steamer "Majestic"

The Saint John River has been called "the Rhine of North America".  As the major river running through the centre of New Brunswick, the river was the prime way of travelling through the Province until less than a hundred years ago.  The age of steam saw the heyday of river travel on the Saint John.

This week's feature print is a reproduction of my painting of the Steamer "Majestic"

Perhaps the best known Saint John River steamer was the "Majestic".  Built in Toronto in 1899, the "Majestic" plied the Saint John River from 1902 until she retired from service in 1942, making this one of the last steamboats in regular service on the river.  She was the first steel hull steamer to ply the Saint John.  A coal fired steam engine powered her screw propeller to give this ship great dependability on her trips about the Saint John River system.

The painting evokes a time when the pace of life was slower, and one truly did have the time when traveling the river to enjoy the magnificent view that every trun of the river presented.