SARNIA, ON – Imperial Oil says there was a fire just before noon Tuesday on board a ship docked at the company’s Sarnia site. The company said the fire was contained to the boat, the ship’s crew was able to quickly put it out, and all on board were accounted for.
The vessel is the saltwater tanker Prabhu Lal, formerly Chem Polaris.
The Imperial Sarnia fire department attended, but the fire had been extinguished by the time they arrived. The Sarnia Fire Rescue Service was also called to assist.
Ferry Chi-Cheemaun Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Season
Chi-Cheemaun’s 50th anniversary sailing season officially kicks off May 3.
The Chi-Cheemaun, operated by the the Owen Sound Transportation Co., is one of the most recognizable ferries in Canada and an integral symbol of Georgian Bay. Since 1974, it has completed 24,000 voyages between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island, carrying 10 million passengers and three million vehicles.
This sailing season, the Sail Through Time Exhibit will commemorate 50 years of the Chi-Cheemaun and her predecessors with authentic artifacts, posters, photographs and reproductions on loan from the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre in Owen Sound, the Collingwood Museum and the Grey Roots Museum & Archives. The exhibit is free to all passengers.
The Chi-Cheemaun can accommodate a variety of vehicles – from cars to RVs to bicycles – safely and securely. Walk-on passengers are also welcome.
Great Lakes Limestone Trade Up 19.9 Percent in April
CLEVELAND — Shipments totaled 2.3 million net tons, an increase of 19.9 percent compared to a year ago. Loadings were above the month’s 5-year average by 9.6 percent.
Loadings at U.S. ports totaled 1.9 million tons, an increase of 15.5 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries increased by 42.2 percent to 459,393 tons.
Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 2.6 million tons, an increase of 26.6 percent from 2023. Shipments from U.S. ports increased by 22.8 percent from the previous year, while shipments from Canadian ports increased by 46.7 percent.
U.S. ports: Calcite, MI; Cedarville, MI; Drummond Island, MI; Marblehead, OH; Port Inland, MI; and Presque Isle, MI. Canadian ports: Bruce Mines, Manitoulin Island, Port Colborne (from August 2017 on) and Smelter Bay (all Ontario).
About Lake Carriers’ Association
Since 1880, Lake Carriers’ has represented the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually that are the foundation of American industry, infrastructure, and power: iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt, and sand. More information is available at www.lcaships.com.
Information based on data from knowledgeable sources. However, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. LCA assumes no legal responsibility for the outcome of decisions or commitments made on the basis of this information. This report represents the views of LCA and may not necessarily represent the views of its individual members.
Eric Peace
Vice President
Lake Carriers’ Association
25651 Detroit Road, Suite 102
Westlake, Ohio 44145
(440) 333-9996 (office) | (410) 703-8792 (mobile)
Polsteam Koprowo, a new ship in the Polsteam fleet, christened
A new ship has joined the fleet of the Polish Steamship Co. (Polsteam), and she is headed for the Great Lakes. She is the bulk carrier Polsteam Koprowo, named after a lake located on Wolin Island in Poland.
The delivery and christening ceremony occurred at the Chinese Shanhaiguan shipyard in Qinhungdao (Hebei province) of the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) group. Dorota Kubiak, head of the Technical Settlement Department at Polsteam, became the godmother.
The Polsteam Koprowo is the second in a series of twelve 37,000 dwt lake-type (laker-max) bulk carriers built by the Dalian Shipbuilding shipyard for the Polish Owner. The first of the series – the Polsteam Dabie – was handed over in mid-January 2024 and arrived in the Great Lakes at the beginning of April after a long voyage worldwide.
Subsequent vessels will be delivered every quarter. The first eight vessels will be equipped with engines running on low-sulphur fuel. The last four will already be able to burn emission-free ‘green’ methanol.
Polsteam Koprowo will sail on her first voyage on 26 April, commanded by experienced Capt. Andrzej Tłusty. The bulk carrier will load steel in the ports of Shanghai, Zhangjiagang (China) and Pohang (Korea) before crossing the Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal, taking a course for the St Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes ports of Hamilton and Windsor.
On its fixed route to the American lakes, Polsteam carries high-grade steel from the Netherlands for the American automotive industry (about 300,000 tonnes per year) while on return voyages to Europe or North Africa, American and Canadian grain.
The Polsteam fleet comprises 56 vessels, including 52 bulk carriers and four ferries.
AI system to assist in St Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes traffic management
St Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) and Great Lakes St Lawrence Seaway (GLS) have agreed a deal to deploy a new Voyage Information System (VIS) from Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS) to enhance joint management of the bi-national waterways between Canada and the US.
GSTS will provide predictions for the VIS through OCIANA, its AI-powered SaaS platform for ports, shipping lines, pilotage authorities, civil agencies and border security organisations.
The software will use information from the Seaway Traffic Management System and GSTS data streams to create a predictability model to forecast vessel ETAs, with the aim of assisting port operators in managing of voyages and optimising lockage schedules.
OCIANA is designed to incorporate the Locks System Rules, ensuring that all vessel movements adhere to safety and operational guidelines while adjusting for the impact of dynamic events stretching from the Atlantic approaches to the Great Lakes, to improve throughput and reduce delays.
Smart Maritime Network
Lake Ontario water levels expected to stay near or just below average into summer
by: Liam Healy
Updated: May 2, 2024 / 05:58 PM EDT
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — While nothing is set in stone, early indications and forecasts from the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board, which maintains outflow from Lake Ontario for the International Joint Commission, are that the normal mid-summer high point for Lake Ontario levels will remain slightly below average. That is according to Bryce Carmichael the US Section Secretary for the International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board.
“Lake Ontario itself this year is forecast to be a bit below average, but not to the extent where we see a drastic need for remediation or mitigation measures. The St Lawrence River, however, is already more below average than the lake is,” said Carmichael.
Lake Ontario is currently a few inches below 246 feet and expected to rise, which is normal through May and June, to just over 246 feet based on current forecasts. Which would leave Lake Ontario a few inches below its normal peak and much lower than the above-average levels seen around this time last year. Of more concern for the summer is levels along the St. Lawrence River near Massena.
“What we’re really looking at right now is really the impacts to the recreational boating community and tourism at large. We understand that under low water conditions, it causes people difficulties in access to Lake Saint Lawrence and the Saint Lawrence River and especially that section on Lake Saint Lawrence, which is just upstream of Moses Saunders Dam near Messina, New York,” said Carmichael.
Longer term where the levels on Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River end up will be influenced greatly by the amount of rain we see through May and into June. Further considerations will be made by the Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board on how to best manage levels if needed. Primarily though, outside of the already mentioned concerns for the St. Lawrence River, there isn’t much concern that levels on Lake Ontario in the coming months will pose much of an issue barring any short-duration changes that can’t be forecasted this far out.
Adella Shores shipwreck discovered 115 years after it sank near Whitefish Point
WHITEFISH POINT – The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society this week announced the discovery of the wooden steamship Adella Shores, one of the many ships that “went missing” over the years in the vicinity of Whitefish Point. The Adella Shores went to the bottom of Lake Superior with no survivors on May 1, 1909.
In shipwreck parlance, the reference “went missing” is used to describe a vessel that left the dock and was never seen again. Such vessels vanish with no survivors, no witnesses, and are yet to be located. All of that changed when GLSHS found the Adella Shores more than 40 miles northwest of Whitefish Point in over 650 feet of water.
The Adella Shores had a storied career. Built in Gibraltar, Michigan, in 1894, the 195-foot, 735-ton wooden steamer was owned by the Shores Lumber Company and named after the owner’s daughter, Adella. Adella’s sister, Bessie, christened the new ship with a bottle of water (instead of Champagne or wine) as the family was strict about alcohol consumption. Old time sailors might have seen that as a bad luck omen. The Adella Shores had her share of trouble – she sank twice in 15 years in shallow waters, later being refloated each time and put back into service.
On April 29, 1909, the Adella Shores was upbound for Duluth with a load of salt. The Adella Shores was following the larger steel steamship, Daniel J. Morrell, through a thick ice flow, with the Morrell plowing a path through the ice as they went. As both ships rounded Whitefish Point, they were met by a fierce northeast gale. The Adella Shores was already two miles behind and out of sight of the Morrell. The Adella Shores was never seen again, disappearing with all 14 crew members. Some debris was found, but no bodies. Captain Millen of the Morrell thinks the smaller Shores might have struck a large ice flow, puncturing her hull, and quickly sinking.
In the summer of 2021, GLSHS Director of Marine Operations Darryl Ertel and his brother Dan were out running grids towing the society’s Marine Sonic Technology side-scan sonar system when they found a target.
“I pretty much knew that had to be the Adella Shores when I measured the length of it, because there were no other ships out there missing in that size range,” said Ertel. “As soon as I put the ROV down on it for the first time, I could see the design of the ship and I could match it right up to the Adella Shores.”
“She still tells a very poignant and fascinating story,” said maritime historian and author of “Went Missing,” Fred Stonehouse. “The folks that are out there actively hunting for shipwrecks like the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society are helping to answer that story. And they keep looking for the ones that are not yet told and not yet found. For that, they deserve the highest commendation.”
Cleveland’s Nautica Queen relocates to the Soo
The Cleveland-based river cruise boat Nautica Queen was upbound at the Soo Thursday. Waterfront reports indicate that she is now owned by the Interlake Steamship Co. and she will take over the shuttling of workers to the new Soo Locks project that has been handled by the smaller tour boat Hiawatha, which is also owned by Interlake.
With ferry service facing cuts, an island in Northern Michigan fears for its future
Neebish Island is separated from the Upper Peninsula mainland by a narrow channel of the St. Mary’s River. The ferry ride across takes a scant five minutes. But soon the ferry won’t run as late or as often as it used to, and the island’s few dozen permanent residents and the few hundred who come during the summer are worried that it will choke off Neebish Island’s lifeblood.
“Our very livelihood, the whole strength of our island, is being pulled back,” said Phylis Reed, president of the Neebish Island Improvement Association, “and we don’t have any reason to get people to move here or stay here, because we don’t support anything.”
The 21-square-mile island once supported two year-round stores, four schools and two churchesThe schools and most of the school-age children are gone. The one remaining church and one remaining store are seasonal.
Without ferry service after 7 p.m. in the summer, Reed said, it will be harder for summer residents to dart up to the island for weekend trips.
Without ferry service after 6 p.m. from December through April, it will be harder for everyone on the island to do the ordinary things of living: going to the doctor or out to eat or shopping for groceries.
“We can’t attract anybody to come to the island,” Reed said. “Why would people want to buy here and say this is like their second home? They can’t even come up here and get to it on a long weekend because there’s no late ferry.”
The reason for the changes in the ferry schedule is twofold, according to Pete Paramski, the executive director of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority, also called EUPTA, which has run ferry service to the island since 1981.
The ferry once operated during the summer until 10 p.m. on weekdays, but Paramski said the later runs weren’t used enough to make them worthwhile. EUPTA announced last fall that they would be eliminated.
“The bang just wasn’t worth the buck to make a 10 o’clock run that very, very few people were using,” he said.
The second set of changes, which will come before EUPTA’s board for approval next week, were set in motion by the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates ferry operations.
Coast Guard regulations say crews shouldn’t work shifts more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period.
On the Neebish Island, the ferry crews been working more than 12 hours a day “for many, many years,” Paramski said.
“It’s a very rural Island. with not a lot of population,” he said. “There’s no businesses out there and whatnot, so we run a very limited schedule and there’s lots of breaks throughout the day. It doesn’t run like every hour on the hour like our ferry operations do at Drummond and Sugar Island.”
Because of the long breaks, they’d gotten an exemption, Paramski said, but the Coast Guard told EUPTA earlier this year that wasn’t going to work.
“Our primary concern is safety of passengers, crew members and the vessel,” said Lt. Phillip Gurtler, a spokesman for the Coast Guard’s 9th District, “and, when you’ve got a crew on board that’s operating for more than 12 hours in a single 24-hour period, frankly you’re kind of inviting an incident.”
He didn’t have an answer for why the ferry had been able to do so previously.
Paramski said hiring a third ferry crew would be prohibitively expensive, and EUPTA is now proposing a schedule that pushes what had been an 8 p.m. crossing on weekdays in the summer back to 7 p.m. and gets rid of 11 p.m. crossings on Friday and Saturday.
It would also expand the winter schedule, which is currently in effect from mid-January through March, to December through April. The last ferry run in the winter is at 6 p.m. When the channel to the mainland freezes, the ferry doesn’t run at all, though residents can then cross on foot or with snowmobiles.
Neebish Islanders are used to being self-sufficient, embracing a certain separation from the outside world.
But several residents said the changes already made in the ferry schedule and those proposed will create too great a distance.
To justify the changes, transit officials “keep saying, ‘Well, the population of Neebish Island keeps going down and down,’” said Helen Vogl, whose family has been coming to the island for more than a century. “Well, it goes down because people can’t live there and feel like they can get off the island (and) go to work.”
And for other reasons, too.Lori Miller moved to Neebish Island with her husband, Ed, a decade ago. Ed Miller and his siblings had spent years of their childhoods on the island. First a sister moved back. Others followed.
Ed Miller died in 2022 from COVID. Lori Miller moved from the island last year because her health was failing and she couldn’t get the help she needed.
“When we moved here, we knew what we were getting into, and we could make our life work around the schedule and around the lack of services and the lack of amenities,” she said, “but now they just keep taking away and taking away.
We will open TODAY for the season! 11:00-4:00 pm. We are looking forward to another year of educating the visiting public on our incredible sailing history here in Rogers City and all of the Great Lakes fleets! 367 N 3rd St, Rogers City, MI, United States, Michigan
Soo Locks Visitor Center opens for season Wednesday
The Soo Locks Visitor Center opens for the season Wednesday, May 1. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Park rangers had a busy week prepping the visitor center, attending training and took a tour of New Lock at the Soo progress.
New Algoma Bear arrives in Canada
Algoma Bear (IMO 9619309), a self-unloading Seaway-max vessel at 740 feet in length and 78 feet in width, built in 2024 in China and the 11th vessel in the Equinox-Class series of new lakers built for the Algoma Central Corp., has arrived in Canada. The vessel arrived at the Port of Sept-Iles, Quebec, Monday, April 29 in the early morning after a long journey originating in China, where the ship was built.
Departing China on February 18, the Algoma Bear began its long journey which would take it across the Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and up the Atlantic, eventually arriving in Eastern Canada. Algoma Bear arrived at the Panama Canal on April 11 after departing China and upon their arrival at the Panama Canal, they anchored at Balboa, Panama the Pacific Anchorage, then to the Panama Canal. They were finally allowed to transit the canal on April 15 almost two full months from their departure from China.
Next up and launched in Croatia on February 17 is the Algoma Endeavour, a 740 foot long by 78 foot wide vessel with a forward-mounted self-unloading boom. Algoma Endeavour will become the 12th vessel in the Equinox-class series of ships built for Algoma Central Corp.
Algoma Central is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.
Denny Dushane
Beaver Island ferry opens season 2 weeks late, following maintenance delays
CHARLEVOIX, MI – Ferry service to Beaver Island is now available. The 2024 season began last Friday, nearly two weeks later than expected, due to delays with maintenance projects, officials said.
The Emerald Isle kicked off the season with a round trip, carrying a full load of supplies and a few cars to the island, according to a news release from Beaver Island Boat Company. Vehicles and passengers came aboard for the return trip to Charlevoix. The ferry made a second roundtrip on Friday as the company works to get caught up on missed reservations.
“We completed our first-round trip, and everything went well!” said Tim McQueer, company president. “It really feels great to be sailing again.”
Six more trips were completed over the weekend, WPBN/WGTU reports. The company planned to start the season on April 15, but supply delays related to maintenance projects on the Emerald Isle and the Beaver Islander put them behind schedule.
Roger LeLievre, Mr. Know Your Ships, was on-site mingling with fellow boatnerds.’I love the energy of this event and I love that it is multi-generational,’ said guest Roger LeLievre
Jim Lehocky
The Cozy Corners was packed with boatnerds for the 3rd annual Freighter Fun Day.
The 3rd Annual Freighter Fun Day at the Cozy Corners Tavern and Grill in Barbeau was Saturday, and it was packed.
The eatery is located on the north end of Rock Cut where downbound freighters must pass by to continue on.
Sara Gordon, co-owner of the Cozy Corners, said the first Fun Day was small with only BINGO. But in the past two years, it has exploded in popularity.
“It’s grown significantly. The first year was only a few tables, last year half the dining room was used and this year we were full even before the event started. It is successful thanks to our location and re-branding focused on freighters and the addition of trivia,” Gordon said.
Gordon also said the event could not be as big as it is without the help from area businesses and sponsors.
“We had prizes for BINGO and trivia from Original Soo Locks Boat Tours, Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours, Sault Historical Society, Bricco Designs, The Little Gift Shop, and Roger LeLievre,” Gordon said.
LeLievre, who produces the annual informational book each March called Know Your Ships was at the event.
“I love the energy of this event and I love that it is multi-generational. It’s the ship fans that make it special. I love catching up with some of the same people year after year. I especially love the kids who love the boats as they are the future of the hobby. Sara and Ron are so welcoming and they have created a community space that also doubles as an amazing restaurant. They have really turned the place around,” LeLievre said.
“Roger’s been a part of this event since the first one. All boat nerds know him and we have repeat customers for this event every year because of him,” Gordon added.
Many look at LeLievre and see a “superhero” of sorts due his extensive knowledge of freighters and the books he publishes.
“As far as being a superhero, nah. I am the luckiest boatnerd in the world and I do my best to represent the hobby and bring the next generation into the fold,” LeLievre said.
To top off the afternoon, the CSL Laurentien freighter passed by the gave a hearty salute to those at the event.
“It was perfect timing of the Laurentien! It completes the event for sure! Getting a salute was a pretty big deal considering a CSL salute is rare. Seeing the kids excitement is the best part,” Gordon concluded.
Cleveland-Cliffs reported a $53 million loss in the first quarter.
Cleveland-Cliffs, the Cleveland, Ohio-based steelmaker, one of the region’s largest employers, lost 14 cents per diluted share. It brought in revenue of $5.2 billion in the first quarter.
“Our first quarter results were highlighted by the resiliency of automotive production in the United States, which helped to offset a temporary buyers strike from service centers in January and February,” Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. “With more automotive and less service center business, first quarter mix was richer than originally anticipated, driving both our average selling prices and production costs higher than expected.”
Cleveland-Cliffs shipped $3.9 million net tons of steel in the first quarter. It brought in $414 million in EBITDA or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation or amortization.
“This quarter, our efforts towards green steel production were recognized in an unprecedented way. As a result of our strong track record with emissions reductions and labor relations, we became the largest intended recipient of federal grants toward decarbonization in the history of the United States,” he said. “These investments will go toward two game-changing projects, not only with immense carbon reduction prospects, but also robust returns and manageable capital commitments.”
The company repurchased 30.4 million shares of 6% of those outstanding.
“In the first quarter, we returned capital to our shareholders at an aggressive rate,” he said. “Our stock was cheap throughout the quarter and remains so, driving the exhaustion of our previous $1 billion share repurchase authorization and the commencement of another larger one. Buying our own stock is clearly a better use of capital than any M&A opportunities at current valuations — so that’s our primary focus.”
The steelmaker has liquidity of $4 billion.
“Looking forward, we expect to benefit in Q2 from the lower costs under our guidance, which we have maintained,” he said. “Our largest end market, the automotive sector, is expected to remain strong. Orders from our service center customers have started to increase, with spot pricing also on the upswing. We are fortunate to have such a remarkable partnership with our workforce, and we will navigate this world of abundant opportunities together with our union partners.”
The MacArthur Lock officially open
for the 2024 shipping season
SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Harvest Spirit was the first ship of the season heading downbound through the MacArthur Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, MI, on Thursday.
The MacArthur Lock winter maintenance work included a dam safety periodic inspection to determine asset performance and conditions. These assessments drive future repairs to ensure the lock stays operational. In addition, crews also performed a wide range of other maintenance tasks from fender timber replacements on the piers, to inspections and preventative maintenance on electrical and mechanical systems
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
Tawas Point Lighthouse will reopen in early
May after a year of construction
IOSCO COUNTY, MI – After a year of reconstruction, Tawas Point Lighthouse in Iosco County will reopen in early May. The 67-foot-tall lighthouse sits between Tawas Bay and Lake Huron at Tawas Point State Park.
The $455,500 project, paid for using federal Covid-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, included restoring the exterior of the lighthouse as well as repainting the lantern room and gallery inside the lighthouse. Ventilation and moisture issues that caused the tower to deteriorate were also corrected during reconstruction.
“After many years we are so excited to see the tower of Tawas Point Lighthouse return to the gleaming white beacon it was meant to be,” Laurie Perkins, a Michigan History Center site historian for Tawas Point Lighthouse, said in a news release issued by the state Department of Natural Resources. “The crowning glory of the restoration project is the lantern room where the 1891 fourth order Frensel Lens still resides.”
Tawas Point Lighthouse is one of the 129 lighthouses in Michigan, more than in any other state.
The money to renovate the lighthouse and make other enhancements to state parks and recreational facilities are part of the $250 million the DNR received from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s $4.8 billion Build Michigan Together Plan.
The lighthouse will officially reopen on May 8 but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan History Center and the state park will host an early viewing of the lighthouse on May 2, which marks 147 years since its first lighting.
“We are grateful for the hard work and immense care that the Friends of Tawas Point Lighthouse and State Park consistently dedicate to this historic site,” Micah Jordan, the Tawas Point State Park supervisor, said in the news release.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 2 visitors can tour the lighthouse for free and browse the gift shop, but a recreation passport is required for vehicles entering the state park. There will also be vendors and food trucks at the event.
Visitors will be able to enjoy the lighthouse just before the campground closes for the season. Tawas State Park will also undergo renovations and the modern campground will be closed from September 3, 2024, through April 30, 2025, for electric enhancements.
National Museum of the Great Lakes breaks ground on addition
TOLEDO, OH – Amid sunny skies and a brisk wind that occasionally carried a gull or two overhead, the National Museum of the Great Lakes broke ground on a 5,000-square-foot expansion Monday afternoon.
The museum’s capital campaign has already raised $4.5 million toward the Second Wave expansion project’s $6 million price tag, which includes construction and exhibit acquisition costs.
“Our fundraising efforts for this project are in full swing. We’ve had support from the State of Ohio, forward thinking businesses, generous donors, loyal museum members, and visitors,” said Paul LaMarre, vice chairman of the board of the museum, who was among the speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The expansion of the museum, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary on Front Street in East Toledo, will provide dedicated areas for temporary and traveling exhibits, new permanent exhibit spaces, and a community education center. “We’re expanding our horizons. We’re taking a pivotal step, breaking ground on the new addition to the museum,” Mr. LaMarre said.
The National Museum of the Great Lakes will become the place where all Great Lakes conversations happen, he added. “Imagine a space where the past, present, and future combine to create a dynamic hub for community education, cultural enrichment, and economic growth,” Mr. Lamarre said.
“Our mission at the National Museum of the Great Lakes is to educate and inspire visitors with the rich history of the Great Lakes. We’re embarking on an exciting new journey,” he said.
Dr. William Davis, a museum board member and the leader of the Second Wave campaign, agreed. “Education is going to be a big part of this expansion,” Dr. Davis said. “Because of this new development, we will be able to put on a lot more programs for the area, northwest Ohio and southern Michigan. It’s going to be great.”
He was hopeful the museum could soon team up with the Coast Guard and have programs on boat safety. “That’s an area that needs a lot of help,” he said.
Kate Fineske, executive director of the museum, said she was grateful for the support of the museum over the years. She noted how much the museum has grown since its first wave — moving to Toledo 10 years ago. The museum grew from just a few team members to its current 25.
“We have 11,000-square-feet of interior museum exhibit space, the maritime park, and a 617-foot lake freighter that you cannot miss, the museum tug Ohio, the St. Marys Challenger Pilot House, and now a 5,000-square-foot addition that we’re putting on to the back of the space. That space is going to be incredible for us,” Ms. Fineske said.
“Of the $4.5 million we raised, over 72 percent of that is derived from resources outside Lucas County. Over 70 percent of visitors who spend at least one hour on the museum grounds stay at least one night in a hotel. We are bringing visitors and revenue to Toledo. With this expansion, we are going to be the gathering place of all Great Lakes conversations,” she said.
Some in the small crowd who attended the groundbreaking ceremony were enthusiastic about the expansion. “I’m so excited that there is a community that wants to continue to educate so we can keep the Great Lakes at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” said Jackie Csiszar, senior vice president of World Shipping, agents for the ships of the Great Lakes.
“We have such a gem,” Lucas County Auditor Katie Moline said. “It really has a lot of room to grow in terms of its prominence in our community. And this is just one step in that direction. I love that the museum is always looking to the future, especially in this region. They have the foresight to expand so that the next generation can enjoy this.”
Toledo Blade
Toledo museum boats open for the season on May 1
TOLEDO – The National Museum of the Great Lakes has announced the reopening of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and Museum Tug Ohio for the 2024 season on Wednesday, May 1st.
“Our entire team and community always looks forward to the seasonal opening of our museum boats,” said Ellen Kennedy, Director of Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Great Lakes. “Our visitors eagerly anticipate this time of year, and we can’t wait to immerse them in the living history that our vessels embody.”
The boats, which undergo seasonal closure over the winter, will be open for public tours between May 1st and October 31st. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the 617-foot cargo ship and historic tug, gaining insight into life on the lakes through the 20th century. In addition to time aboard the vessels, guests are encouraged to explore the museum galleries, which showcase captivating stories through stunning photography, over 300 remarkable artifacts, immersive audiovisual displays, and interactive exhibits.
“During the summer season, we will have construction crews on site working on our 5,000 square foot expansion,” Kennedy added. “The museum and vessels will be fully open during construction with hopes of no interference with the guest experience. We just kindly ask that visitors pardon our dust during this exciting time of growth.”
In addition to the boats’ opening, beginning in May, the Museum’s open hours will also increase from 6 to 7 days a week, Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Tickets can be pre-purchased at nmglstore.org or purchased upon arrival inside the museum at the front desk. No tickets are sold on the vessels themselves and anyone boarding the ships needs a wristband.
National Museum of the Great Lakes
How low ice coverage is changing the future of Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes
CHICAGO – This past winter was one of the warmest on record. It led to record-low ice coverage on all five Great Lakes, a sign that the world’s largest freshwater system is not immune to climate change.
“We’re seeing the Great Lakes kind of as sentinels of climate change. They’re showing us what’s happening in this sort of global change that we’re experiencing,” said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. The Alliance for the Great Lakes advocates for policies needed to protect the Great Lakes for the future.
“We’ve had the lowest ice cover year in about 50 years on the Great Lakes,” said Brammier. “And we know that the climate is changing around us. We see evidence of that in warming water, less ice, highly variable water levels”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration started keeping track of the Great Lakes’ ice cover in 1973. The Great Lakes typically see an average of 53 percent ice coverage in the winter. This year, it peaked in mid-January at just 16 percent, the fourth lowest on record.
Even more staggering, from January to March, total ice cover across all 5 Great Lakes measured a mere 4.4%, an all-time historic low.
“We started late, we never really got the cold air in place to let the ice catch up to where it needed to be. And so we trailed behind all season,” said Bryan Mroczka ,a physical scientist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
“If the lake just goes up a few degrees, it can totally change the kind of habitat that’s available for that, for those fish and other wildlife, they might go somewhere else looking for a better place to live and we might see, for example, more invasive species coming into the Great Lakes,” said Brammeier.
The ice not only helps shelter marine wildlife, it also helps shield the beautiful beaches we all enjoy. The city’s prized shoreline is susceptible to extreme erosion, especially during the winter when there are strong storms and high waves.
“When you have frozen water at the shoreline that actually blocks some of those big winter storm waves from hitting the shoreline and can reduce erosion, it can reduce the loss of land and property,” said Brammeier.
Less ice cover could also mean more impactful lake effect snow events. When the Lakes freeze over, the fuel that drives these storms shuts off. Years that feature less ice have the greatest potential for snowier seasons. Year to year variability of ice cover will continue but less ice may be the new normal.
“We will see significant ice on the lakes again. That’s a guarantee, we will have colder winters, but the probability of any given year is increasing, that it will be a low ice year,” said Mroczka.
Climate change is already painting a different picture of the future of our fresh water source. Still, there are ways to preserve and protect the lakes.
“You’ll just see a lake that looks different, perhaps from the one that that I grew up with or my parents and grandparents grew up around,” said Brammeier. “And so that’s just going to be the reality that we face as well, is that we’re going to see a lake that is that is in its own way adapting to climate change and the unfortunate impacts of global warming. When you see that ice, you know, don’t just think of it as cubes in your freezer. Think of it as part of that living Great Lakes that we’re all part of and that we are privileged to live here and so protecting all those parts of the living Great Lakes is really important.”
The S.S. Badger’s schedule has been updated, with crossings now starting earlier than expected. Departures will commence on June 1st instead of June 14th. Continue checking back for even earlier booking dates. Read more here:
Kingston, ON – The Marine Museum of the Great Lake at Kingston has rebranded itself the Great Lakes Museum. Visit https://greatlakesmuseum.ca/ to learn about the museum and centerpiece the steamer Keewatin.
Tours of Keewatin start May 13. Two tours will be offered: a 75 minute Passenger Experience and a 45 minute Engine Room Experience. Tickets go on sale, online, April 24 – tomorrow – here: https://greatlakesmuseum.ca/buy-tickets/.
On July 6, 2007, during S.S. Keewatin’s centenary celebration, her then owners RJ and Diane Peterson appointed Eric Conroy as “Captain Rick”… that is, as S.S. Keewatin’s (honorary) captain. (Although it is a marketing persona, Eric took the trouble to become qualified to use the honorific, obtaining certification from the International Shipmasters Association.)
Since then, it is a role Eric has played during hundreds of presentations, while telling the story of S.S. Keewatin to prospective visitors in audiences of up-to several hundred at a time. On Monday April 15 Eric gave his final presentation as “Captain Rick” and at the end of it presented his uniform to Doug Cowie, Manager of the Great Lakes Museum.
Great Lakes Museum
CMU buys sub to help research Great Lakes
Researchers at Central Michigan University are exploring the Great Lakes with the help of a brand-new submarine.
By Lauren Piesko
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (WNEM) – Researchers at Central Michigan University are exploring the Great Lakes with the help of a brand-new submarine.
CMU’s Institute for Great Lakes Research bought a two-person submersible with big plans for its future.
Don Uzarski, director of the CMU Institute for Great Lakes Research, said the machine is fully grant-funded and was bought on a whim from private sub owners.
“It was kind of odd, because I was contacted just out of the blue by an individual from Virginia and from Texas that said, ‘Hey. We own our own submarines, or submersibles, and we like to get together and try to help out scientists with these.’ And these are just guys from across the country who have submarines that their vacations, vacationing one week out of the year, going to do research at research stations,” Uzarski said.
CMU’s biological station on Beaver Island is the new home for this maroon and gold submersible.
“I got into the sub and I spent three hours just doing habitat surveys in the sub and I was able to write things down and look around and I’ve been scuba diving for 20 years and this was still a whole new world,” Uzarski said.
Uzarski said this is a huge addition to CMU’s biological station and he is excited to see what new information it will help uncover in the Great Lakes.
“Not only can we stay down longer, we can travel much farther distances. The hopes are, I want to get it in the water as soon as possible and start using it for data collection,” Uzarski said.
One of his primary goals will be using the sub to go regular checks on the Enbridge line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.
“When I got in that sub for three hours last year, I was amazed at what I was seeing. It can immediately help in understanding the system much better through our water quality and chemistry data that she could already collect, but also help the managers manage that ecosystem and understand it better,” Uzarski said.
