Governor Cornwallis (ferry)

Named after Edward Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax, the ferry was built because of the heavy wartime traffic on the Halifax to Dartmouth ferries which had grown to 6 million passengers and 500,000 vehicles per year.

The tender was ultimately won by a Dartmouth shipbuilder Hugh D. Weagle for $93,551.

Throughout the short career of Governor Cornwallis, her superintendent's log book showed many mechanical problems, and was becoming a headache to the city of Halifax and Dartmouth.

At 4:05pm on December 22, 1944, Governor Cornwallis left the Halifax dock with 20 motor vehicles and 300-400 passengers.

When Governor Cornwallis arrived at the Dartmouth dock all the passengers were let off and the boat was towed to the beaches of Georges Island to be burned.