Virtual Visitor Center program today: New Lock at the Soo project update
Work has been underway for more than a year on the New Lock at the Soo. Kristina Schnettler, a project engineer, will provide an overview of the project, behind the scenes glimpses of the work happening right now and a look at what’s to come in the next few years. This free program begins at 12:30 EDT (11:30 CDT) at https://www.gotomeet.me/VirtualVisitorCenter/new-lock. The Virtual Visitor Center is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association.
Tugboat, non-profit group collect data and promote marine careers
Kingston , ON – Kingston welcomed a life-sized TV replica boat Theodore Tugboat – or Theodore Too – to the city on Monday. The boat’s arrival also marked the beginning of its collaboration with a nonprofit advocating for the restoration and protection of waterbodies.
Theodore Too was purchased earlier this year by marine industrialist Blair McKeil, who is relocating the boat from Halifax to Hamilton. The tugboat, which was previously used for tours of the Halifax harbour, now has a new job: promoting marine careers throughout the Great Lakes.
Theodore Too has partnered with Swim Drink Fish, a non-profit organization working to connect people with water. According to its website, more than $1.7 billion has been spent restoring and protecting water in the wake of Swim Drink Fish’s work since the organization launched in 2001.
Mark Mattson, president of Swim Drink Fish, told the Whig-Standard that the tugboat’s help has come at a vital time. “Next year is really important on the Great Lakes: it’s the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement,” Mattson said.
Mattson said there’s a lot of work to be accomplished for the Great Lakes in the next 50 years. “Diversity, accessibility, governance, protection of ways between the provinces, Indigenous communities, the federal government. It’s a really important time for Theodore, and for (Blair and Kathy McKeil) to offer Theodore as an ally to our work for swimmable, drinkable, fishable water was just too much of an opportunity to miss out on.”
While in Kingston, Theodore Too will be outfitted with a real-time temperature sensor that will monitor and measure water temperatures along his journey through Lake Ontario. The temperature monitor will be used by Swim Drink Fish for its Swim Guide app, which gauges and reports up-to-date water information for swimming for over 8,000 beaches, lakes, rivers, and swimming holes around the world.
“(Theodore Too’s) first tool in his toolbox will be this temperature sensor that registers the temperature and sends it into the cloud, and then it automatically updates on a platform like Swim Guide, or other platforms, and archives that data for years to come. So wherever Theodore is, the temperature that day at that time will be kept by us as part of our data collection process,” Mattson said.
As Mattson explained, water temperature is an essential part of water safety. “As a result of COVID-19, many people are going to the water and connecting with the water. We’ve really seen the demand for parks and beaches go way up. You need to protect yourself. If you’re going into water that’s too cold, there are different wetsuits and things to make sure you’re prepared for being in the water. Safety is number one.”
Theodoee Too may eventually be outfitted with more tools, Mattson said, including those for plastic and waste collection and characterization, work Swim Drink Fish’s water management hubs on Lake Ontario, including its Kingston hub, are already doing.
“Theodore wants to learn about and be part of that movement and engagement process.”
Swim Drink Fish also plans to collect and store the water temperature information to examine long-term changes in water temperature at different areas of Lake Ontario. They intend to make that information available to researchers and governments.
Read more at this link: https://www.thewhig.com/news/tugboat-non-profit-group-collect-data-and-promote-marine-careers
For more information, visit https://www.swimdrinkfish.ca
