The 5 cent commemorative stamp of Canada, issued on September 24, 1951, displays a reproduction of the side-paddle wheel steamship City of Toronto from a drawing by Mr. G. A. Cuthbertson. In the upper half of the stamp there appears a reproduction of the Canadian National. Steamship Prince George, flagship of the Pacific Coast service. She was chosen for the stamp design as representing modern Canadian shipping and shipbuilding.
The Prince George was built by Yarrows, Ltd., at Esquimalt, British Columbia, and her sleek, streamlined structure is a fine example of Canadian craftsmanship and efficiency. Of about 5,800 gross tons, she was designed for passenger trade between Vancouver and Alaska, the route through the narrows which lead to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
The City of Toronto, incidentally, was built at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Upper Canada, for the Royal Mail Line, and served between Lake Ontario ports and Prescott, on the St. Lawrence River. It was the vessel in use in 1851 when the administration of the postal service was transferred to British North America. The Prince George was designed by W. D. McLaren, a well known naval architect of British Columbia and cost more than $3,000,000. Her keel was laid in December 1946, and she was christened on October 6, 1947, by Mrs. Chevrier, wife of the Canadian Minister of Transport. She is the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel ever built on the Canadian West Coast, and has space for 400 tons of cargo and 20 automobiles. She has seven decks, eight public rooms, a children's playroom, barber shop, news stand and beauty parlour. She has been under the command of Capt. Ernest B. Caldwell since her maiden voyage in 1948.
SG437 Sea Breezes 7/52