[1] York was built in 1902 by Bertram Iron Works of Toronto[1] and assembled at Okanagan Landing.

She was a small vessel in comparison to the many other ships on the lake; York was only 88 by 16 feet (27 by 4.9 metres).

and worked as a tug boat, carrying cargo that had been clustered on the deck of Aberdeen.

[1] During the winter when the lake would freeze, York was used to break the ice for larger ships such as Aberdeen.

[6] York retired when the railway between Penticton and Okanagan falls was complete,[7] after which she was sold to Sid Leary (never put back into service) and eventually dismantled.

In 1913, according to Canadian Railway and Marine World, York was captained by M. Reid, and her chief engineer was A.

Although she was small, her size was advantageous when working on Skaha Lake and traveling up the channel.