Vintage Vehicles

Temagami - Boat 1

Initially, OPP officers relied on whatever transportation was locally available for rent or loan when they needed to navigate areas only accessible by water; and regular pro-active patrols of local lakes or rivers was unheard of. This changed in 1949 when the government commissioned the construction of two 22 foot mahogany Runabout Deluxe Sedan models from Niagara-on-the-Lake's Shepherd Boats. Sporting the latest and greatest in technology, Temagami and Kenora took to the waters that summer and would have been a welcome sight to stranded boaters and cottagers who needed assistance.

In 2010, The OPP Museum learned that Temagami was being privately sold. As the OPP's first official patrol boat, many felt that it belonged back in OPP hands. Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and members, our supporting organization Friends of The OPP Museum was able to step in and purchase this boat for the museum, keeping it in Ontario and in fact preventing the next buyer in line from stripping it of its identity and taking it to the U.S.

With its original siren, brass tipped pole for pulling up to the dock, fenders, life ring and even the original chrome name plate letters for the stern, Temagami remains in nearly identical condition from when it was taken out of service by the OPP and sold as surplus. Its original hefty 6 Cylinder Chrysler Vee Drive engine, said to be capable of speeds up to forty-five miles per hour drives the boat that operates with pedals and gears like a car.

Since its acquisition, several people have approached the museum to express how happy they are to hear that Temagami has been preserved, including some former operators who remember fondly summer patrols at the helm of "Boat 1" as it was commonly known.