Community Waterfront Heritage Centre (CWHC)

George Hindman came from humble beginnings. His family had no connections to the marine industry, but the water always called to him. He got his first job on a ship doing odd jobs when he was still a boy, and constantly gained new experience, with his path to becoming a ship master bringing him to many well-known local ships like the Keenan, the Manitou, and the Keewatin.

Captain Hindman’s focus was often on his family. When he started his first fleet, almost every vessel was named for a member of his family, and his children all had roles to play. He had similar dedication to the community. Not only did he get personally involved in several local organizations, he even tried to have his ship’s officers move to Owen Sound to keep the company as local as possible.

The Hindmans ran over a dozen freighters over the years. From canal-sized freighters that could fit through the early Welland and St. Lawrence River Locks to “Upper Lakers” over 600 feet long, their ships visited ports all over the Great Lakes.

Through the sailing months they carried all sorts of cargo, and in the winter almost all of them would be found in Owen Sound’s harbour.

Complementing the freighters was a fleet of tugs that handled a wide range of tasks. From towing barges to breaking ice, to salvaging, or even scuttling the odd ship.

The Hindman tugboats didn’t have the same presence as the big ships, but they were a key part of the company’s operations.

The Hindmans produced some of their own cargo. The family owned thousands of acres of timber land on Manitoulin Island and Lake Huron’s North Shore.

With their own tugs and specialized equipment, work crews for the Hindman Timber Company cut down trees, loaded ships and planted saplings, with most of the wood being delivered to paper mills in Canada and the United States.