S.S. Keewatin
311 Talbot Street L0K 1R0 Port McNicoll, ON, Canada

"S.S. Keewatin in Sault Ste. Marie, circa 1910" by Paul Ingram... based on a postcard published by The Valentine & Sons Publishing Co., Ltd. titled "S.S. "Keewatin" of the C.P.R. Upper Lake Fleet, at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Canada".

Gordon’s Postcard Was Written On Board S.S. Keewatin On June 14, 1949, Gordon Kuster’s parents boarded S.S. Keewatin for a trip up the lakes to Port Arthur. They bought this postcard showing S.S. Keewatin in the St. Mary’s River painted by G.F. Gillespie in 1912. The 74.5 mile long St. Mary’s River, starting at the end of Whitefish Bay, with a fall of 23 feet, flows southeast into Lake Huron and separates Michigan from Ontario.... During the trip, Gordon’s parents learned that Keewatin would be arriving in Port Arthur early Thursday morning. At 6:33 a.m. Thursday morning Keewatin entered Port Arthur’s breakwall. Unfortunately, due to a northeast wind and current, she could not dock and left the breakwall at 7:05 a.m. After a short trip of 45 minutes, Keewatin arrived at Fort William where she was unloaded between 9:00 a.m. and 2:35 a.m. Gordon’s parents mailed his postcard in Fort William and it was postmarked at 6 p.m. Postcard: Courtesy of Dawn Ironside who wondered if her father, Reginald Ironside, was the wheelsman as S.S. Keewatin left the dock in Port McNicoll on June 14, 1949. Reg Ironside was a wheelsman on S.S. Keewatin for five years. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who served with Reg on board Keewatin.

Facebook Town Hall with MP Bruce Stanton The Fate of the S.S. Keewatin? Monday, March 29 at 7:00 https://www.facebook.com/brucestantonmp

A Cruise as Beautiful for an Old Skipper as a First Time Passenger

The Start of a Wonderful Cruise Up the Lakes Passengers must have been thankful for the calm wind allowing the black sooty smoke to rise straight up from the smokestack. S.S. Keewatin was very 'hungry' and consumed about 20 tons of coal each day. Coal was stored in two bunkers consisting of 122 tons in one and 100 tons in the other. ... Steam was generated from the four fire tube or Scotch boilers that were fed by six firemen (two per shift) who worked four-four shifts. On each shift, the two firemen would hand-stoke the fire holds with between eight and twelve shovelfuls of coal every twenty minutes. Photo: Courtesy of Dick With Information: Courtesy of Ninety-five Years Young, The Story of the S.S. Keewatin: 1907 - Present by Cindy and Bob Zimmerman

CBC Radio's Ontario Morning is heard around South-Eastern Ontario, outside-of Ottawa and Toronto: it's range includes both North Simcoe and Kingston. This morning at 6:50 AM Ontario Morning host Julianne Hazlewood interviewed Dan Travers of the Keep Keewatin Home Campaign. If you missed it then, you can listen to it now. It's the first clip in the podcast. https://podcasts.google.com//b250YXJpb21vcm5pbmctOGE2YzhiY

Introducing the "keepkeewatinhome" Campaign to Keep S.S. Keewatin Home A new website at https://keepkeewatinhome.ca has been launched in an effort keep the 113 year old passenger steamship S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll. According to local resident and campaign organiser Dan Travers the website is an information hub for those interested in trying to help ensure the Keewatin stays right where she is. The website includes a link to a new House of Commons petition directed to ...the Minister of Canadian Heritage which calls for the Government of Canada to ensure S.S. Keewatin remains in Port McNicoll. It is available to residents of Simcoe County, regardless of age said Travers. Each signatory merely needs their own email address. #keepkeewatinhome is an independent public interest group in support of, but not affiliated with, the registered charity Friends of Keewatin (The RJ and Diane Peterson Keewatin Foundation). Email Us: [email protected] Follow Us: https://twitter.com/HomeKeewatin

How You Can Help S.S. Keewatin Stay in Her Home Port https://sskeewatin.com/sos

FLASHBACK October, 2011 S.S. Keewatin Coming Home to Canada [The following comes from an article in Boating Industry Canada.... https://boatingindustry.ca//4489-s-s-keewatin-coming-home- ] Skyline International Development Inc. has announced an agreement with Douglas, Mich. entrepreneur R.J. Peterson to purchase and repatriate the S.S. Keewatinthe crown jewel in the Canadian Pacific Railway's once-mighty Great Lakes Steamship fleetto its original home in Port McNicoll, Ont. Municipal council in Tay Township, which encompasses Port McNicoll, has passed a motion allowing the vessel to return. The agreement follows four years of negotiation to relocate S.S. Keewatin from Saugatuck, Mich., where she has been docked since 1967, after being purchased by the Peterson family and converted into a maritime museum. Skyline chairman and president, Gil Blutrich, said, As a passionate maritime history enthusiast, I became interested in the Keewatin's remarkable history, its preservation and importance to this beautiful part of the country decades ago. I believe the Keewatin will deliver both tourism dollars and wonderful memories to the community for years to come." The ship was purchased by Skyline Development and will be donated to the R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation, which will operate and maintain the vessel as a maritime museum. The Keewatin will be moored in a new waterfront park in Port McNicollmere steps from the original location where it was originally tied. The park will feature a replica of the town's original train station and surrounding English Royal gardens. Tay Township mayor Scott Warnock is confident the vessel will become one of the area's most important tourist attractions. "Once this plan is fully approved by council, we feel the S.S. Keewatin and the planned park development on Port McNicoll's waterfront could attract hundreds of thousand of tourists each year," he said. "While she spent most of her life transporting passengers and cargo to ports across the Great Lakes, Keewatin is now poised to deliver major economic and cultural benefits to Tay Township and the entire region." How times change! Now, nine years later, under a new CEO, Skyline has turned its back on Port McNicoll and all the volunteers and offered the Kee to the Kingston marine museum. Photo: Personal collection

The Elegance of Passenger Ship Dining in 1912 In S.S. Keewatin’s dining saloon (top) 120 passengers ate in Edwardian elegance surrounded by American and Italian walnut panelling and polished brass. Titanic’s dining saloon (bottom) held 554 passengers at each meal. On Keewatin, every table and swivelling chair is bolted to the floor. At the beginning of each cruise, each passenger was assigned a numbered meal tag that coincided with his or her chair’s ivory number plate in the... dining saloon. As on the Titanic, a bugler would announce the start of each meal on Keewatin. Eighteen waiters, who according to the Canadian Pacific custom, were not allowed to write down food orders but had to memorize them. As Jack Neilson, a waiter during the 1945 season, recalled, We learned to remember the complete order for seven people at each sitting. We were not allowed to write down any order. We learned how to use our waiter’s writs napkin to unobtrusively blot a spill [and] wipe away crumbs as we removed a serving dish. We learned to set the table correctly which silverware went where and why. We learned to vacuum our table stations after the last dinner sitting. [We learned] how to polish the wood-work and brass fittings around our station [and] to clean the window at our station, to be as clear as crystal. As we had three sittings at each meal, we carefully laid snow white linen clothes in layers of three on the table, for quick changes between sittings, praying all [through] the meal, no one would spill a liquid during the first sitting that would soak and stain through the three layers. Information: Coutesy of Ninety-five Years Young, The Story of the S.S. Keewatin: 1907 Present by Cindy and Bob Zimmerman

The Proud Little Fairmile Retired into a Life of Boredom Built by Midland Boat Works, Midland, Ontario, Fairmile Q 095 was delivered to the Royal Canadian Navy on May 12, 1943. While not commissioned, she became a tender to HMCS Sambro, a depot ship for escorts. With a complement of 3 officers and 14 men and armament consisting of 2 20 mm guns (forward), 1 20 mm gun (aft), 2 x twin 0.303 machine guns, and 14 depth charges, she was a little fighting ship’. The fairmiles... were also called Holy Rollers’ since they easily pitched and rolled in the waves. A unique feature of the fairmile was its ability to be reconfigured within 48 hours to serve as an escort, minesweeper, mine layer, navigation leader, coastal raider, patrol boat, ambulance or rescue launch. Each was fitted with steel strips and tapped holes to ease the swap of special equipment for each mission. Q 095 participated in the 76th ML (Motor Launch) Flotilla out of Newfoundland. A flotilla consisted of six fairmiles tasked with dealing with lurking German U-boats and escorting shipping along the St. Lawrence River, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and between Newfoundland and the mainland of Canada. At the conclusion of WW 2, she was paid off on July 1, 1945 by the Royal Canadian Navy. Purchased in 1947 by the Canada Department of Transport in 1950, she was sold to Rudolphe Corbeil and re-named RODCO probably using her as a yacht. After owning her for a decade, he sold her to Kingston Excursions who owned her until 1972+. Her final service was to haul lobsters from Western Nova Scotia to Rockland, Maine. Her registry was closed in 1969 when she was scrapped. Photos: Q 095 shortly after being built in Midland in 1942-3; patrolling the coastline of Newfoundland; escorting a captured German Submarine

Great drone fly-by and editing work. Thanks Chris!

The Tragic Sinking of the Tug BAYPORT FLASHBACK Tuesday, November 23, 1959 Yesterday, sadness spread through Collingwood like wild fire as residents learned of the sinking of the tug, BAYPORT, and the loss of three lives.... The BAYPORT, built in 1914 and owned by Canada Steamship Lines since 1942, had worked for years in several nearby Georgian Bay harbours that had grain elevators, towing and ice breaking. Yesterday, the BAYPORT was towing the freighter, MOHAWK DEER on a rather routine mission when the accident occurred. The MOHAWK DEER was built in 1896 as the L.C. WALDO, had been blown ashore and wrecked in the Great Storm of November, 1913. Salvaged and rebuilt with two name changes over the years, she became known as MOHAWK DEER in 1944. " When MOHAWK DEER became dead in the water with a broken propeller shaft, she was pulled to Collingwood for repairs by another freighter, the CAPTAIN C. D. SECORD. At the channel approach to Collingwood harbour, northeast of the grain elevator, the tug, BAYPORT, with a crew of six, was contacted for assistance in towing the disabled ship to the shipyard. One account is that the MOHAWK DEER, still with momentum from being towed by the SECORD, suddenly veered off at an angle causing the BAYPORT to be pulled over by her own tow line quickly sinking in seconds to the bottom. Three members of the crew Captain Percy Butters, Edwin McCoy and Ken McInnis could not be rescued and lost their lives. Captain Butters had just retired two years before as a Great Lakes captain with 46 years of experience. Their bodies were found during the next two days. The next summer, the tug was salvaged by three tugs from McQueen Marine Ltd. They dragged the tug under water with only its mast showing above the surface. In the shallow water near the shipyard, the tug was raised and pumped out. After being repaired and converted to oil-fired during the winter months, in the early spring the BAYPORT was sent on an ice-breaking mission to Midland. After changing owners and being renamed several times as well as a conversion to diesel power, BAYPORT was finally ‘retired’ (‘scrapped’ is such a harsh word) in 2008 at the ripe old age of 94. The accompanying photo shows BAYPORT in September, 1954, moored near Midland’s Townhouse elevator, just back from boiler work in Collingwood. The man on the right wearing a white cap is Captain Edward F. Burke. His company, Burke Towing & Slvage of Midland formerly owned the BAYPORT. Original black and white photo: Courtesy of Looking Back 60 years in North Simcoe, June 23rd to 30th, 1959, Huronia Museum, Midland, Ontario This is an excellent series highlighting important events each week 60 years ago. Please check it out at the museum's site: https://huroniamuseum.com/

We state firmly and unapologetically, that KEEWATIN belongs in Port McNicoll. This is the conclusion of the Toronto Marine Historical Society established in 1968 to preserve the historical record of Great Lakes ships. Their monthly newsletter of over 50 years, The Scanner, is widely recognized as the premier publication of its kind. After lamenting the current state of affairs with museum ships NORISLE and NORGOMA, Jay Bascom, Editor of The Scanner, writes in their Decembe...r 2020 issue: "Much more disturbing has been the situation involving the former C.P.R. passenger steamer KEEWATIN, beautifully preserved at her old home of Port McNicoll and loved by all who rode on her as well as those who have laboured so hard to keep her there after she returned home from the Saugutuck area in 2012. Management has changed at Skyline, the developer that purchased the steamer and brought her home and originally intended to develop the area around her dock, and Skyline now wants to get rid of the ship in exchange for a big tax credit. The charitable foundation in Port McNicoll that has done such a great job with her is trying valiantly to keep her there, but there now are efforts being made by a Kingston group to poach the ship and take her there, a place with which KEEWATIN has no historical connection whatsoever. We state firmly and unapologetically, that KEEWATIN belongs in Port McNicoll."

Firing Up the Keewatin's Engine FLASHBACK - Thursday, August 29, 2013 Almost 50 years ago, when the Keewatin was retired, the engine was protected with heavy grease, perhaps in the hope that one day the engine would be restarted. ... Today was the day! All across Port McNicoll, residents heard the sound of the old engine coming back to life. After many, many hours and hard work by volunteers and the assistance of engineers working for over a year, the Keewatin's engine started and purred like a big kitten. Someone remarked," It's much quieter that I expected, I thought it would be much noisier." Carl Snip, one of the volunteer engineers said, "To actually be able to see its parts move, even if it's less than one revolution per minute, is really enough to make it come to life for you." A visitor from Boston commented, "I've certainly never had the opportunity to walk through the engine compartment of a huge ship like this - this is awesome!"

So Much Information Lost to the Mists of Time Recently, this postcard was found in the S.S. Keewatin archives. It had been glued into someone's photo album as evidenced by the five small patches of black album paper still stuck to the postcard. All I am left with are questions ' Who owned the album? When and where was the photo taken? What is the name of the ship being built? Who were these men? What were their life stories? So much information lost to the mists of time!

Sail with Us on the Georgian Bay Line Known also by its official name, Chicago, Duluth and Georgian Bay Transit Company, the Georgian Bay Line operated from 1913 to 1967 providing transit service and cruises on the Great Lakes. The GBL began in 1913 with the launch of the 280 foot S.S. North American on January 16, 1913. After the first profitable season, the 321 foot S.S. South American was launched on February 21, 1914. They were built of steel and were also sister ships. I...n the 1940's, a third ship, S.S. Alabama was acquired. Before WW II, the ships would carry many passengers from one port to another. After the war, the business shifted more to the ships being used for longer cruises. When passenger jets became popular in the 1950's, the cruise boat industry in the Great Lakes began to suffer. This 1952 advertisement shows the ships' routes. In 1963, the S.S. North American was retired. Soon, however, the remaining fleet could not meet the modern fire safety standards and in 1967, the S.S. South American was retired. It was a sad end for all three ships. S.S. North American sank while under tow. She was to become a part of the merchant marine academy. S.S. South American was scrapped in 1992. The S.S. Alabama was cut down to become a barge in 1946 and continued in that role until she was scapped in 2005. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Bay_Line

It's Not Always Smooth Sailing on S.S. Keewatin This photo of yesteryear was taken from the S.S. Assiniboia.

Cruising Georgian Bay on the Penetang 88 After being built in Toronto as a wartime fairmile, she served many years both in our area and later in Kingston as a tourist boat before she was "torpedoed" in 1975 by a log coming through a nearby dam that sunk her at the dock. It was refloated and repaired but likely lay derelict until fire destroyed her. This colourized 1963 photo, courtesy of the Ontario Department of Travel & Publicity, shows the Penetang 88, a converted mineswee...per, taking sightseers on five-hour trip to 30,000 islands The story of the Penetang 88 - "A Fairmile that Became a Cruise Boat" on the Huronia's Past and Present site. Please feel free to join to enjoy not only this story but the thousands of others in the archives. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/ Original black and white photo: Courtesy of Toronto Star, Baldwin Collection, Toronto Reference Library

The Original Flying Bridge in S.S. Keewatin's Early Days The enclosed wheelhouse was beneath the flying bridge. The flying bridge was an open area which provided unobstructed views of the fore, aft, and the sides of a vessel, for the ship's officers such as the captain or officer of the watch, on fair-weather days or when approaching or leaving a dock The flying bridge was also used for solar and stellar observations. Photos: Courtesy of S.S. Keewatin archives

Now Shipping! The Royal Canadian Mint S.S. Keewatin 2 oz. Pure Silver Coin. Only 3,000 minted: $189.95. Attention Collectors: buy the coin and a copy of the book "SS KEEWATIN: Steel and Steam" together and get a bonus publication and free shipping. http://www.keewatinbook.com/offer/

How Would You Like to Find This Under Your Christmas Tree? Photos: Courtesy of Thomas J. Guffey

It's late March, 1959! Going on a Sea Cruise This Summer? The Great Lakes have long been considered inland seas. This summer is predicted to be very hot in the city. You decide to take the train to Midland and board either the South American or North American and take a sea cruise after watching this performance by Frankie Ford on the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tIHtbctFQ... Photo: Personal Collection

The Grand Old Lady of the Lakes Feels Lonely Without Her Friends Visiting S.S. Keewatin rests comfortably moored in the slip at her home port of Port McNicoll oblivious of the legal matters swirling around her. Negotiations are on-going to keep her where she naturally belongs. Photos: Courtesy of Dean Verner

Friends of Keewatin finds financial backer in fight to keep ship in Port McNicoll Support needed for Heritage Canada designation by Gisele Winton Sarvis for the Midland Mirror... https://www.simcoe.com//10229503-friends-of-keewatin-find/

Gone are the Days of Clear Sailing Oh, the number of times that the captain stepped from the wheelhouse to get a clear bearing of his location. Never has she been in such a 'storm' as today when she has no idea where she is going.

Further Update on Keeping S.S. Keewatin at Home This article, by Andrew Philips, has appeared in local newspapers - https://www.orilliamatters.com//a-shiny-silver-coin-and-re

What a Terrific Christmas Present! For anyone who loves S.S. Keewatin this could be the perfect gift. While helping the small group of dedicated members working to keep S.S. Keewatin in her home port, this combined 'Special SOS' offer includes the incredibly engraving silver coin showing both the bow and stern, the special edition of 'S.S. Keewatin, Steel & Steam', and a free copy of 'Steak in a Drawer', all shipped free! All orders are processed and protected through Paypal.... Proceeds from the sale of any Keewatin product goes to the Save Our Ship fund. http://www.keewatinbook.com/offer/ THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Introducing Fred Addis, S. S. Keewatin's New Curator Fred describes S.S. Keewatin's amazing story and the need for her to stay in her home port of Port McNicoll. https://www.facebook.com/132190703477140/videos/3431634306927003/... S.S. Keewatin needs to remain in her home port of Port McNIcoll. Show your support by signing this petition: https://www.change.org/p/tay-council-keep-the-keewatin-in-p

"Extra! Extra! Fire Destroys the WAUBIC! Read all about it!" FLASHBACK - Tuesday, January 18, 1938 "The steamer, WAUBIC, of the Northern Navigation fleet, has burned to the water's edge here in Kingsville. Build in Collingwood in 1901, the 135 foot long twin screw steamer made trips between Penetanguishene, Midland and Parry Sound on the inside channel for about 10 years."... When the Northern Navigation Company closed their Georgian Bay operation in 1920, WAUBIC was sold to the Rockport Navigation Company of Kingston where she had operated in the Thousand Islands excursion trade. She was sold in 1934 to A.R. and V.C. Irvine, Port Arthur, and operated between Port Arthur and Silver Islet. Sold in 1937 to Capt. J. Earl McQueen, Amherstburg, she was brought to Lake Erie. While being reconditioned at her dock to compete against PELEE, she caught fire and was badly damaged. After the 1938 fire, she was rebuilt by Capt. McQueen at the Muir Bros. Drydock in Port Dalhousie, and repowered with Fairbanks-Morse diesels.Renamed ERIE ISLE, she operated on a run between Pele Island, Sandusky, Ohio, Leamington and Kingsville. In 1943, she was sold again to Northumberland Ferries Ltd.of Charlottetown and operated ferry service to Prince Edward Island under the name, PRINCE NOVA. On July 6, 1959, she met her demise by fire at Pictoc, Nova Scotia. Back in yesteryear, travellers to Georgian Bay boarded one of three daily trains run by the Grand Trunk Railway between Toronto and Midland. The most popular train left Toronto at 10 am arriving in Midland at 1:50 pm in time to connect with a steamship run by the Northern Navigation Company. Stops were made at various communities along the route. Some of the stops were 'flag stops; meaning the ship only stopped if a passenger on board requested a stop or someone on shore raised a flag to signal the need for a pick-up.

Murdoch and the Inspector Take a Break on S.S. Keewatin Between Scenes While aboard S.S. Keewatin, moored in Port McNicoll, shooting scenes for 'Murdoch Ahoy', the actors enjoyed a little R&R on the Hurricane Deck. In the true spirit of the era of silent movies, enjoy a brief overview of the episode:... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akV5GRw_VC8

Travelling on the Waterbus During the early years of the 20th century, from 1909 to 1920, service through the Thirty Thousand Islands between Penetanguishene and Parry Sound was provided by the steel-hulled steamer WAUBIC. A local group of businessman, lead by James Playfair, formed the Georgian Bay Tourist Company of Midland Ltd. and after purchasing the AMERICA, renamed her MIDLAND CITY and established Midland as the southern terminus of the route. As the popularity of vaca...tioning in the islands grew so did the business of delivering groceries, mail and laundry to the cottagers. As more cottagers wanted to travel to Midland, the company purchased the small steamer CITY OF DOVER to operate between Midland and Honey Harbour. Soon, the fleet numbered 5 with the addition of the WEST WIND, WATERBUS, and the barge IMPERIAL (used briefly before being scrapped). Photo: We are indebted to early photographer, J. W. Bald, for so many everyday images of yesteryear.

"Ready with the bow line! Take her a little closer to the dock! Ready aft with the stern line!Steady! Steady! Throw the bow line!"

Take a Virtual Ride on the World's Oldest Operating Coal-Fired Passenger Ship We are so fortunate to have the RMS Segwun still operating from Gavenhurst. Once the COVID-19 threat is in our rear view mirror, we will once again be able to take a real trip through the Muskoka lakes just as passengers did over 100 years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNRkznWlm30

How Can I Help Keep S.S. Keewatin in Her Home Port? Please go to the link below and sign a petition in support for our group's efforts to keep the ship home where she belongs. S.S. Keewatin is in a 'storm of a lifetime' and we are endeavouring to become the owners of the ship and ensure she continues to be preserved while remaining in Port McNicoll. Please share this petition with family and friends asking for their support.... https://www.change.org/p/tay-council-keep-the-keewatin-in-p

An update from the good folks at the S.S. Keewatin: Thanks for helping to Keep the Keewatin in Port McNicoll. We asked Tay Township to request that Simcoe County collaborate with us in an appeal to Canadian Heritage for review of our application for Category B designation, and that has happened: our new Curator, Fred Addis, has been working with the Curator of Simcoe County Museum to that end. In addition, a guarantor has come forward to provide the financial backstop we wi...ll need to assure Canadian Heritage we have not only the competency, but also the ability, to operate and care-for the ship once we can re-open. Plus, we’ve been talking with the ship’s owner, Skyline Investments, and Keewatin Volunteers have recently been back on the ship preparing her for winter. S.S. Keewatin is many things! She is a tangible representative of the Great Lakes shipping industry that helped forge North Simcoe. She is a remarkable Canadian artifact with a direct link to the cementing of Confederation. And she is The World’s Last Edwardian Passenger Steamship: of some 3800 ships built (including Titanic) only Keewatin survives. In recognition of her unique importance, the Royal Canadian Mint has struck a limited edition 2 oz Pure Silver Coin featuring stunning views of Keewatin’s bow and stern. It makes a wonderful gift or family heirloom. Net proceeds go to our charity, supporting the preservation of S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll. Available from our publisher, here: http://www.keewatinbook.com/coin/

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 10 of 10 At that time, the Assiniboia was the flagship of the fleet of five ships sailing from Port McNicoll and he was given the title of ‘Commodore of the Fleet’.... Sources: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/16/keewatin-coming-home https://taytownshipheritage.wordpress.com/

The Last Queen of the Great Lakes FLASHBACK - October 16, 1967 S.S. South American, casts off on one of her last cruises and as she sails away from the dock we think of all the other cruise ships that have sailed into the mists of time,... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu7SZ6CsVqk

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 9 of 10 While he waited for that position, James was the First Officer on the Alberta. He became the Captain of the Assiniboia in 1911 and held that position for 25 years.

FLASHBACK - Saturday, July 19, 1952 "That was an exciting trip up from Toronto. The train ride was so smooth. The 'steamboat' didn't stop even once. The scenery was beautiful. So many farms! Soon we will be on the Keewatin and starting our trip north to Fort William. Look at all the beautiful flowers. It's easy to tell that the gardeners take a lot of pride in their work.Take some pictures for me. Can you take one of the steamboat train, Keewatin and that big elevator? What d...o they store in the elevator?" Photos: Courtesy of Huronia Museum in Midland Original black and white photo of 'Steamboat' northbound at Bolton on Saturday, June 15,1957 by Dick George Original black and white photo of steamboat, S.S. Keewatin and the grain elevator in the backgrond: Courtest of Old Time Trains

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 8 of 10 On Christmas Day, 1907, Keewatin arrived in Owen Sound.... Photo: Courtesy of Lorne Belcher

Cruising the Great Lakes on the SS North American Forget your worries! Come aboard for the cruise of your life! Feel pampered at every turn! Don't worry about your diet! The adventure awaits on the SS North American! https://www.youtube.com/watch... Original black and white photo by Harry Wolf: Courtesy of Steven Kelsch

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 7 of 10 Ed Anderson, captain of the Manitoba was not confident in his ability to guide the ships through the channel so recommended James McCannell, Sr. due to his superior knowledge of the channel. In return for bringing the ships safely to Georgian Bay. Ed promised James the first Captain’s position that became available in the CPR’s fleet.

"I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" What a sight to see three giant passenger ships - South American, North American, and Alabama in their winter berth back in yesteryear at Holland, Michigan. All three were frequent visitors to North Simcoe County, the home of S.S. Keewatin. The winter scene with the three ships reminded me of the popular Christmas song, 'I Saw Three Ships". Enjoy Libera's version:... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKoNwX-emh4

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 6 of 10 Once the sections were safely in Lake Erie, workmen at the Buffalo Dry Docks, re-joined the sections using new rivets that had been sent by the builders. This 1907 picture shows the midsection while the two sections were separated.... On December 19, 1907, Keewatin left Buffalo on her voyage to Owen Sound. The ships reached the Colchester Channel in western Lake Erie in December. The channel was very shallow and a dangerous passage. During the navigation season, markers were placed in the water. However, when Keewatin and Assiniboia reached the channel, the markers had been removed for the winter.

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 5 of 10 It must have been a strange sight to see the different sections of ships passed through the canals. The trip through the locks took from October 10 to 15, 1907.

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 4 of 10 What an amazing engineering feat designing and building a ship over 350 feet long to be separated into two sections! This was not as unique as I have long thought. According to the Tay Township Heritage page, the Alberta, the Athabasca, and the Algoma, the CPR’s other ships in the fleet had previously sailed across the Atlantic and been separated in 1883 at Montreal. They, too, were reassembled in Buffalo before their trip to Owen Sound.

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 3 of 10 At the Davie shipyard's dry dock, at Lauzon, Quebec (now Levis), the Keewatin and Assiniboia each were built to be separated into two sections - 1/3 and 2/3 by having the rivets heated and removed.

The Day They Cut S.S. Keewatin in Two Part 2 of 10 The ships sailed from the Fairfield shipyard located on the Clyde River near Glasgow, Scotland across the Atlantic to the Davie shipyard at Lauzon, across the river from Quebec City.