SS Ursus

The SS Ursus was a steam cargo ship originally built in 1908 as the Reinbek. It is most notable for becoming stranded and eventually sunk in Hudson Bay, Canada, in 1926.

The Reinbek was built in Bremerhaven, Germany, and initially served in various commercial capacities. Following World War I, it was ceded to the United Kingdom as war reparations and subsequently sold. It was renamed Ursus after being acquired by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) to support their trading operations in the Canadian Arctic.

The SS Ursus was primarily used to transport supplies, trading goods, and personnel to remote HBC trading posts along the Hudson Bay coast. The ship played a vital role in maintaining the company's infrastructure and facilitating trade with Inuit communities.

In October 1926, while navigating through thick ice near Churchill, Manitoba, the Ursus became trapped. Despite efforts to free the vessel, it sustained significant damage from the ice pressure. Eventually, the ship was abandoned, and it sank in shallow waters near Button Bay.

The wreck of the SS Ursus remains in Hudson Bay. Over time, it has become a notable feature of the landscape and a point of interest for divers and historians interested in Arctic exploration and the history of the Hudson's Bay Company.