The Avery was the first vessel to make the complete journey from Dartmouth Cove to Maitland. This historic journey took place in the fall of 1861. It was then used to tow barges along the route of the Canal. As you can see from the photos the Avery was a steam powered side-paddle wheeler. She was built at Porto Bello adjacent to the Marine Rail system which transported vessels between lakes William and Charles. This system was completed and in operation before the downtown Dartmouth Marine Railway was complete.
Thank you to Bill Moore, Maritime Ship Modelers Guild, for repairing the working model of the Avery which is on display at the Fairbanks Centre. The model was originally constructed by Robert Payne and Michael Concannon, members of Maritime Ship Modelers Guild. The Commission is most grateful for the contributions these gentlemen have made.
-Bernie Hart
Sketch of the Avery
Avery Model in the Holding Pond by the Fairbanks Centre in 2006