The J.C. Morrison was built in 1854 at Belle Ewart, and was launched in 1855 for the Ontario, Simcoe, and Huron Railway Company. The ship was named after the president of the company, Joseph Curran Morrison.

This three-year-old pleasure cruise steamer (steam powered Paddlewheeler), shipped people and supplies around Lake Simcoe and caught fire on August 4, 1857 at the dock in Barrie, Ontario. She was set adrift in Kempenfelt Bay to avoid burning the docks. The ship sank 30 ft., a few yards east of the present day Centennial Beach.

The J.C. Morrison Wreckage is one of the most popular dive sites in the Southern Ontario region. It is an approximate 10 minute swim out to the wreck guided by a line that runs from the shore of the Centennial Beach. The paddle wheels, smokestack, anchors, boiler, and many small artifacts remain at the site.