The Victoria division of Versatile Pacific Shipyards, Inc., otherwise known as Yarrows Shipyard, was Sir Alfred Yarrows mmbc 993.917.0673

established in Esquimalt in 1913 and was placed under the British direction of Norman Yarrows, son of Sir Alfred Yarrows who was made a baronet for his shipyard contributions to the Royal Navy.

Norman Yarrows at a christening mmbc 983.62.10P

Yarrows in 1926 mmbc 993.017.1202

The first ferries to accommodate automobiles, such as the Motor Princess were built at Yarrows. After the 1,186-foot-long federal dry-dock was completed in 1926 the Empress liners were overhauled and repaired there. During WWII Yarrows produced over 25 vessels for war duty, including five corvettes, seventeen frigates, and four mine sweepers - one of which was HMCS Nootka.

In 1946, Yarrows was purchased by the Wallaces who were owners of the Burrard Drydock Co. in Vancouver. After WWII Yarrows built the steamship Prince George which carried passengers to Alaska. The shipyard became active during these postwar years building self-loading and self-dumping log barges from the hulks of existing oil tankers, as well as building tugs and ferries. In addition to shipbuilding, Yarrows built industrial products such as tanks, conveyors, and pipes.

Yarrows in 1935 mmbc 993.017.0913

Yarrows in 1960 mmbc 993.017.0859

In the 1960's Yarrows completed, among other naval vessel contracts, the building of two non-magnetic mine sweepers, the modernization of the electronic system on two destroyers, and assisted in the construction of an electronically controlled antisubmari ne vessel.

Ship launching at Yarrows
mmbc collection

Yarrows was renamed Versatile Pacific Shipyards in 1985 by the new owners, the Versatile Corporation of Vancouver. Versatile Pacific soon acquired many contracts with B.C. Ferries, became active overhauling cruise ships, and worked on highly technical ves sels such as the Canadian Coast Guard's diesel-electric icebreaker, George R. Pearkes.

Workers at Yarrows
mmbc 993.017.0577.01

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