SS Keewatin On The Move

The SS Keewatin is heading south in the St. Clair River past Sarnia, ON

An Old Canadian Pacific Ship Finds A New Home....by Don Janes

     On April 26, 2023 the retired steamship SS Keewatin was towed past Sarnia, ON on her way to to her new home at the Marine Museum Of The Great Lakes in Kingston, ON.  My good friend Andy Greenlees informed me that she would be passing by Sarnia around noon so I arranged to meet Andy and Clare Gilbert at the Bluewater bridge to witness this historic old ship passing Sarnia for what is likely the last time.  She had been docked at Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay, her old port of call,  since June 23, 2012. That was the 100th anniversary of the date that the ship started working out of that port.  She had sailed  between Port McNicoll and Port Arthur/Fort William, ON on Lake Superior carrying passengers until 1965 then freight only until 1967 when she was finally retired.  Here is a link to an  excellent article about the ship's history and future.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Keewatin

The above photos were taken at Port McNicoll in June 2017 when she was on display and open as a museum

The Keewatin is on the far left waiting for ship traffic to clear in Lake Huron so she can enter the
 St. Clair River

Here we can see the Keewatin making the turn from Lake Huron to the St. Clair River.  The rear tug was just added for the trip down the river for stabilization.

The ship and tugs are just entering the St. Clair River. The lighthouse in Port Huron, Mich. can be seen in the background

The above photos show the entire ship and a closeup of the bow and stern sections. Note the classic CPR smoke stack colours.

The Keewatin passes under the Blue Water bridge for what is likely the last time.  The first time she would have passed Sarnia in about 1908, before the fist Bluewater Bridge (foreground) was built