 The railway construction firm of Foley, Welch and Stewart built the "Distributor" and the "Skeena" and purchased the "Omineca" in 1908.The latter was wrecked later that summer near Port Essington, but her machinery was put in another sternwheeler, and she was rechristened under the same name in 1909.That same year Foley, Welch and Stewart launched two more steamers, the "Operator" and the "Conveyor", which would be piloted by Captain Con Myers and Captain Jack Shannon, respectively.