Kingston Ontario - The three year battle to keep the historic S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll came to a disappointing end this year.
 
The 115-year-old Edwardian steamship, once part of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Great Lakes fleet, left its home port for the final time in April.
 
The vessel was donated by its owner, Skyline Investments, to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston in exchange for a federal tax receipt.
 
"While we are delighted the ship will survive on into the future, it is disappointing in so many ways," said Wayne Coombes, president of the Friends of Keewatin, the local organization which oversaw the restoration and operation of the ship.
 
"The whole experience has been an up and down roller-coaster ride. Ultimately, it was out of our control."
 
Why Did it Leave Port McNicoll?
 
Uncertainty surrounded the 850 acre Port McNicoll property where the vessel had been docked for the past 17 years.
 
Skyline Investments purchased the land and ship in 2006.
 
Initial plans for development included building more than 1,400 homes, a yacht club, marina, retail shops, and entertainment facilities.
 
Those plans also included donating five acres to Tay Township for the creation of a park prior to construction beginning on the second phase of the development.
 
However, the project stalled and this agreement was never executed.
 
In 2017, after sitting idle for more than a decade, the property was sold to a group of investors.
 
Those investors defaulted on a mortgage payment and the property was put back up for sale in 2020.
 
In February 2021, the land was sold to an unnamed developer.
 
With the property changing hands, Friends of Keewatin officials sought out a new home for the Keewatin.
 
In 2018, the ship was offered to the Town of Midland.
 
At that time, Skyline was willing to cover relocation costs, costs associated with renovations, and restorations for five years, and ensure the ship didn't operate at a loss for 10 years.
 
The town declined the offer.
 
The Friends of Keewatin then approached Owen Sound, Parry Sound, Sault Ste. Marie, and Oshawa before reaching out to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston.
 
What is the Local Connection?
 
For 55 years, Port McNicoll was the home to a major Canadian Pacific Railway terminal.
 
From 1907 to 1965, the S.S. Keewatin transported passengers and freight across the Great Lakes from Port McNicoll to Port Arthur (Thunder Bay).
 
"It was our life. We grew up on the ship," said volunteer Lynn Mechan, whose father served as the chief steward on the ship during its heyday.
 
"It employed the town and people from surrounding towns. Once it was decommissioned, Port McNicoll became a ghost town."
 
The ship was relocated to Michigan in 1967 and was there for 45 years before being brought home in 2012.
 
The Keewatin operated at a tourist attraction during its second stint in Port McNicoll.
 
It was open to the public for eight years, before being closed down by Skyline officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"There really is no memorialization of the maritime history of Southern Georgian Bay anywhere. The Keewatin was going to be it, and with it gone there is nothing," said Coombes.
 
"It's as if a century's worth of history was ripped out and has vanished."
 
After the Keewatin's departure, Coombes and other representatives of the Friends of the Keewatin attempted to try and relocate the M.S. Norgoma from Sault Ste. Marie to the region in order to create a museum to honour the region's history.
 
Unfortunately, the project wasn't feasible.
 
Where is the Keewatin Now?
 
The SS Keewatin arrived safely in Kingston on 26 Oct 2023 after stopping in Hamilton for $2 million-worth of renovations and repairs.
 
Volunteers will clean and unpack the Titanic-era streamliner over the winter months, before the ship reopens to visitors in May 2024.
 
The vessel has not welcomed tourists since 2019.
 
Representatives with the Marine Museum of Kingston did not respond to a recent request for comment.
 
However, officials did express excitement upon acquiring the ship back in March.
 
"The story of the Keewatin is a story of Canada's creation as a country," said Chris West, chair of the board of the Marine Museum.
 
"It is vital that the ship, which is the last of its kind, be preserved for current and future generations, and our museum has the expertise, facilities, and funding to be able to do this."
 
Author unknown.