Nasookin became surplus to its original owner, the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was transferred to the British Columbia Provincial government which used it as an auto ferry until 1947.

On the left side of the main deck was a galley, a pantry, the crew’s mess, cold storage, and cabins for the cook.

[4] The ceiling of the dining room extended through the next deck, creating an impressive effect, similar to ocean-going or coastal steamships of the time.

[4] There were also 14 staterooms on the saloon deck, and, in the forward area, a smoking room with curved sides and large windows.

[4] The steel hull of Nasookin was built by the Western Drydock and Shipbuilding Company of Port Arthur, Ontario.

[3][1] The hull was then disassembled for shipment by rail to British Columbia to be reassembled for service on Kootenay Lake.

[1] Construction was supervised by the chief engineer of the CPR’s Lake and River Service, David Stephens.

[7] Nasookin was reported to have been 200 ft (61 m) long, exclusive of the extension of the main deck over the stern, called the “fantail”, on which the stern-wheel was mounted.

[8] The beam was 39 ft (12 m), which would have been exclusive of the long protective timbers running alongside the top of the hull, called guards.

[3] Nasookin made its trial run on May 4, 1913 under Captain McKinnon, with David Stephens acting as chief engineer.

[4] The formal maiden run of Nasookin was taken on Victoria Day, May 25, 1913, with the boat embarking its full licensed passenger capacity of 550 persons.

[3] CPR intended that at least in the summer months when traffic was at its busiest, that Nasookin replace Kuskanook on the route on the lake between Procter and Kootenay Landing, British Columbia.

[3] By August 1913, Nasookin was running between Nelson and Kootenay Landing, connecting at each point with CPR trains.

[17] A railway had been completed from Kootenay Landing to Nelson, and steamboat service between the two points was no longer required.

[18] CPR leased Nasookin to the government of British Columbia, to be used to carry motor vehicles from Frasers Landing, which was located near Proctor, on the north side of the west arm of the lake, to Gray Creek on Crawford Bay.

[18] At first, the only modification to Nasookin was to remove the extension of the passenger deck from the house to the bow, to permit larger vehicles such as buses to be carried.

[17] Nasookin was then sold to Norman C. Stibbs, who then transferred the steamer to the Navy League of Canada for use as a training vessel.