Sacked ore was brought by wagon or other means to navigable waters where it was taken by steam paddlewheelers to rail connections or directly to smelters. Here the CPR ship Kokanee stands along beside a partly loaded ore barge. The CPR at various times ran a number of such boats. Among the better known were the Minto, Nakusp, Slocan, Moyie and Trail. The Great Northern Railway had a competing steamship line featuring such boats as the Argenta, International, and the well-known Kaslo. Later, steam tugs were widely used to pull the ore barges.
