Mission and Brief History of TBI

Toronto Brigantine, a charitable organization, began in 1962. Our founding tenets were the development of leadership, discipline, and citizenship in a maritime environment. The men and women who founded Toronto Brigantine believed that exposure to the challenge of the sea-going lifestyle could benefit young people.

Our original vessel, STV Pathfinder, was commissioned in 1964 and TS Playfair joined the organization in 1973. From the beginning, ‘building character through adventure’ has been the primary objective of TBI.

Since Toronto Brigantine began, thousands of young people have participated in our character­ building programs. By working together, sailing, and managing our square-rigged ships, these young people have discovered important lessons about life. More importantly, they’ve discovered themselves. They have learned how satisfying and fun it is to contribute. Our purpose is the provision of an environment, aboard ship and in the Winter Program that fosters and rewards self-confidence, teamwork, responsibility, custodianship and leadership in youth.

How it all Started

Like many good ideas, Toronto Brigantine Inc. was founded by happy coincidence. During the Christmas holidays in 1960, a Toronto businessman, J. Garfield Lorriman, and his wife Mary, were impressed by a film about the great Norwegian sail training ship Christian Radich. When the Lorrimans and a group of their friends set about researching the possibility of building a sail training vessel for Toronto they discovered the Saint Lawrence II, built in Kingston (Ontario) and sailed in part by the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets since 1955.

The group, headed by the Lorrimans, was determined to put together a sail training organization in Toronto. They located Francis Maclachlan, the designer of the Saint Lawrence II, and commissioned him to build another Tall Ship. Toronto Brigantine Inc. was incorporated as a registered charity in May, 1962.

After two years of fund raising and building, the 22m (72′) brigantine STV Pathfinder was commissioned in 1964. In 1972, Toronto Brigantine built its second ship, TS Playfair, to accommodate its increasing number of program participants. TS Playfair was named in 1973 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Over the years, the program has progressed from it’s Sea Cadet/military training style and now emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and responsibility. The operation and sailing of the ship is placed in the hands of the 14 to 18 year-old officers and crew. The core philosophy remains the same; building character through adventure.

At the end of the 1993 season, after 30 years of service, Pathfinder was hauled out and given a complete refit. The refit included replacing nearly every system on board. She was launched again in the spring of 1995 to rejoin Playfair on the Lakes.

Today, more than 18,000 young men and women from all over the world have participated in the Toronto Brigantine’s adventure program.

Some accomplishments include:

• EXPO ’67 in Montreal, CAN
• OP Sail ’76 in New York, US
• Founding member of the Canadian Sail Training Association
• 1994 American Sail Training Association sail training program of the year
• 1998 Great Lakes Challenge – Winner of the Chicago to South Haven Tall Ship race
• 1998 ASTA Black Pearl Award
• 2000 recipients of an ASTA Crew Development Grant
• 2005 Capt. Tim Pyron winner of the ASTA Sail Trainer of the Year Award

In the Beginning…

Gam on Yachting
November, December 1961

To The  Editor:

In Toronto a group of private citizens, impressed with the results shown by the brigantine, St Lawrence II, are forming a charitable organization to build a sail training vessel for Toronto.

St. Lawrence II has been used for training Sea Cadets and yacht club juniors out of Kingston for the past four years with  great success. One can look at the brig and see that she is always shipshape and in Bristol fashion. More important one can talk to young men whose bearing or healthy attitude are a testament to the value of such a vessel in moulding the character of youth.

At present we are not asking for money or material but for information. We ask any reader who knows of a steel hull sixty to seventy-five feet in length to write us and give as many particulars as possible. Any questions or comments on the subjects of sail training are also welcome and will receive all our attention.

We thank you, particularly, for the brigantine feature stories recently published in GAM. This led to the possibility of a sail training ship in Toronto.

Building Pathfinder

Pathfinder’s Keel Ceremony.

Editorial:
WE’RE BUILDING A BOAT
GAM on Yachting September 1962

This year there is more than the usual autumn flurry of planning, ordering and building boats for the coming summer.

Our pleasure in these developments, however, has been multiplied by news of one contract in particular –that for a training ship hull for youth in the Toronto area.

The proposed ship, a brigantine to be named Pathfinder, will have a hull and sail plan identical that of St. Lawrence II from Kingston. This will make possible boat-to-boat racing between the two training ships.

Construction is of all welded steel, length 60′, beam 15’2″, draft 8′. Displacement is 45 tons and total sail area is 2.300 sq. ft.

The interior of the ships, however, will differ. With a new Palmer engine, made available through the courtesy of Atlas Polar Company Limited, modifications to the Toronto boat will allow sleeping accommodation for eight more boys, a total of thirty.

The Sea Scouts and Sea Cadets who will be cruising on the Pathfinder for periods of a week each will not be the only children to benefit. Other groups, such as the girls in the Sea Rangers and also Junior club members will be taken for sails during the day.

Following the lead of the Kingston group, the Pathfinder is sponsored by a charitable organization, Toronto Brigantine Incorporated. Approximately Eight Thousand of the $130,000 dollars has been raised to date.

Offers of goods and services are as valuable as those of cash. As well as the engine and the money mentioned above, a water purification system was donated by Everpure Canada Ltd. All the facilities as well as the experience and know-how of James Ward Cotton Advertising Agency have been made available to spearhead the publicity and fund raising campaign.

Services of craftsmen will be especially acceptable when the hull arrives in Toronto from Kingston Shipyards (goal is this December). Sea Cadets, Sea Scouts and Sea Rangers will, of course, help in the work of finishing but many other hands and many craftsmen will be needed.

It is difficult to statistically assess the value of a project such as  the Brigantine. However, it’s startling to note that although St. Lawrence II has been active as a training ship since 1957, not one of the youngsters involved in its program has been in a juvenile court.

As we go to press we hear much talk of the America’s Cup and Canada’s chances of entering this competition. We would very much like to see a Canadian 12 Meter. If it were ever a choice -we’re awfully glad it’s training ships they’re building here.