S.S. Keewatin sailing into new home at Kingston museum
The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, Ont. has announced it will be the new home of the S.S. Keewatin, the last Edwardian-era steamliner in existence.
The ship was built in Scotland in 1907, and formerly owned by CP Rail.
Chris West, board chair of the marine museum, says that it once ferried tourists, settlers, and cargo throughout the Great Lakes.
"CP ships…were making the passage from Port McNicoll, and then to Thunder Bay and then taking people out west, and then bringing grain and things like pot ash back east,” West says. "It’s a nation building story. And it’s the only one (left)."
It was decommissioned in the 1960’s. The ship has been docked at Port McNicoll, near Barrie, Ont., since 2012, after bring acquired from Michigan. It will arrive in Kingston by early Fall.
West says it will be prepared for tours, which are expected to begin by the spring of 2024.
"If I could give you a visual picture of the engine room, you go down stairway, after stairway, after stairway, you’re three stories down looking up at massive steel push rods that push massive pistons down below. It was all fired by state-of-the-art boilers, with quadruple expansion,” West said.
“But you're down there and you know you’re in a movie. It’s that thrilling."
Skyline Investments Inc. donated the ship.
"We're pleased to donate this historic and treasured passenger ship to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes to ensure its continued long-term preservation," said Blake Lyon, CEO of Skyline Investments.
"Kingston is an amazing location for the Keewatin to receive maximum exposure, and the Marine Museum, with its historic dry-dock, is well qualified to maintain the Kee and showcase its important history – a goal we all share."
The ship has been a historical attraction in Port McNicoll since it was acquired and fixed up by the RJ and Diane Peterson Keewatin Foundation.
“While we are saddened Keewatin will leave Port McNicoll, we are pleased that she will be preserved for generations to come at her new home at the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, and will share our experience and expertise with the Museum," said Wayne Coombes, President of Friends of Keewatin, said in a news release.
Once in Kingston, the museum will have an on-shore welcome centre that will host artifacts with more information on the role ships like this played in Canada’s western expansion. West says that will help create wider-context, including the displacement and effect on Indigenous peoples.
"This is history and (the) Keewatin has been very central to living history."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Mother's Day movies that pull at ALL the heartstrings
This Mother's Day Weekend, take a look at some of the most emotional movies inspired by moms.
Suspect sought after fatal slashing in downtown Toronto
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.