The SS Keewatin, a Canadian Pacific Railway vessel that plied the Great Lakes, is escorted by hundreds of boats into Port McNicoll - Date unknown Rick Madonik.

24 June 2012

Titanic's Older Sister Welcomed Home to Ontario

Port McNicoll Ontario - After nearly five decades away, the 107-year-old S.S. Keewatin returned home to Port McNicoll on Saturday afternoon.
 
After pricey repairs, multiple attempts to pull it from the banks of the Kalamazoo River, and a six-day journey, the boat arrived in Port McNicoll at around 1:30 p.m.
 
The century-old Keewatin, often considered an older sister to the Titanic, was built in Scotland in 1905. For 50 years, the ship connected the rail heads in upper Lake Superior and Georgian Bay.
 
The ship was retired from service in 1965 and was docked on Lake Kalamazoo in 1967 in the town of Douglas, Michigan, USA. It has since remained in Douglas, languishing as a museum.
 
Eric Conroy told CTV Barrie that the process of getting the ship from Douglas to Port McNicoll was a difficult one.
 
Because of the shallow depth of the Kalamazoo, the company that owns the Keewatin, Skyline International Development Inc., spent nearly $1 million to dig a channel deep enough to tow the boat from the muddy river, said Conroy.
 
Before the ship set off on its 1,000 kilometre trip on 28 May 2012, it underwent a series of repairs, said Conroy.
 
Rotting wood and steel were stripped off the entire top deck and replaced with new materials.
 
Additionally, two tug boats were hired to tow the boat from Lake Michigan, across Lake Huron to Port McNicoll, said Conroy.
 
Despite these trials, Conroy, who originally worked on the Keewatin as a waiter when he was 17, said the opportunity to oversee this latest voyage was a "dream of a lifetime".
 
The return of the ship is also a dream come true for many residents of Port McNicoll.
 
The city, located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay, had prepared special homecoming festivities for the boat's return.
 
The 350-foot boat was welcomed home with a 21-gun salute, performances by First Nations drummers, dancers, and a choir.
 
The Keewatin will be the anchor of a $2 billion redevelopment project, which includes new homes, condos, hotels, shops, and an event hall.
 
City officials said the redevelopment project will transform the local economy.
 
Officials estimated the project will create more than 3,000 jobs, bring in $100 million in tax revenues, and attract nearly one million visitors per year.
 
Mike Walker.

The SS Keewatin is towed into harbour at Port McNicoll - 23 Jun 2012 Bill Bird.