Officials to evaluate cost of refurbishing 30-year-old ferry Jiimaan
Windsor, ON – The Mayor of the Township of Pelee is hoping for some positive news about the Jiimaan Ferry for islanders. “It is being taken to Sarnia for evaluation as to its future use.,” Ray Durocher said.
The ferry was upbound under tow in the Detroit and St. Clair rivers Wednesday.
Durocher explained the province wants to look into refurbishing the nearly 30-year-old vessel as its begun showing some corrosion and officials want to evaluate the cost of an extra motor facing sideways. The second engine would help the operator dock more smoothly when a gusty wind is blowing from either side.
Durocher said the Jiimaan has not been used this year as the newer Pelee Islander ll is taking passengers and vehicles from Kingsville and Leamington to the island. Before the border closed, The Pelee Islander l brought passengers from Sandusky, Ohio.
Durocher stated the older Pelee Islander l is scheduled to go into dry dock next year for recertification, and he does not expect the 60-year-old ferry to remain in service much beyond 2027. He is hopeful work to refurbish the Jiimaan will be possible and that ferry will replace the Pelee Islander l when it is retired.
Owen Sound Transportation, the operator of the Pelee Island Ferries was not immediately available for comment.
CTV Windsor
Future of Thunder Bay shipyard solidified by Heddle purchase of Fabmar Metals
Thunder Bay, ON – The owner of the Thunder Bay shipyard says it has solidified the future of the business by acquiring city-based Fabmar Metals Inc. Heddle Shipyards already had a strategic partnership with the fabrication and marine repair specialist.
In an announcement Tuesday, it said the company will continue to operate under the Fabmar brand. Dale Ryynanen will remain president of Fabmar.
The statement said the acquisition will strengthen Heddle’s position as the largest Canadian ship repair and construction company on the Great Lakes. It said the transition of Fabmar’s personnel, equipment and inventory to the shipyard will accelerate the revitalization of the historic facility, which Heddle purchased in 2016.
“We can now focus on executing a number of projects before the end of the year,” said Heddle President Shaun Padulo.
He said the company plans to dry-dock the MV Chi-Cheemaun for the Owen Sound Transportation Company, dock multiple tugs for a local operator, and prepare the fabrication hall to support work on the National Shipbuilding Strategy for Seaspan Shipyards of Vancouver. Chi-Cheemaun is a passenger and vehicle ferry that crosses Lake Huron between Manitoulin Island and Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the shipyard will play a role in building Canada’s new Polar-class icebreaker.
Fabmar currently has a staff of twelve. In the coming weeks, it will begin recruiting for a number of positions including general laborers, carpenters, millwrights, machinists, electricians, crane operators, masons and other staff.
Heddle also owns and operates shipyards in Hamilton and Port Weller, Ontario, and has facilities and operations on Canada’s east coast.
All aboard for Two Harbors tug Edna G’s 125th birthday bash
Two Harbors, MN – Two Harbors is preparing to celebrate the Edna G tugboat’s 125th anniversary on Aug. 28-29 in Paul Van Hoven Park, near where the boat has resided for much of the last century.
The tugboat was built by the Cleveland Shipbuilding Co. in 1896 for the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad to guide ore boats into the ore docks. The 92-foot-long, 23-foot-wide, steam-powered tug was built with a steel hull. The name came from J.L. Greatsinger, then-president of the railroad, after his daughter Edna. In 1917, the boat was outfitted and shipped to the East Coast to provide aid for World War I before returning to Two Harbors. It was decommissioned and given to the city of Two Harbors in 1980.
To celebrate the boat, Friends of the Edna G have organized live music games, a craft fair, face painting, food vendors and tours of the legendary tug.
For more information on the celebration, visit the Friends of the Edna G website at www.friendsofednag.org.
Duluth News Tribune
Duluth Seaway Port Authority climbs in Green Marine environmental rating
Duluth, MN – The Duluth Seaway Port Authority and its terminal operations on Rice’s Point earned high marks in the recently released Green Marine 2020 environmental performance report, improving from a 3.8 rating in 2019 to a 4.0 score on Green Marine’s five-point scale. The overall average for reporting participants was 2.9.
The annual report rates port authority participants in seven categories: air emissions, community impacts, dry bulk handling and storage, environmental leadership, spill prevention, underwater noise, and waste management. A record 49 North American port authorities participated in the 2020 evaluation process, with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority ranking No. 4 in the United States and No. 1 among U.S. Great Lakes ports.
“We’re mindful of minimizing environmental impacts and the Green Marine program helps guide those efforts,” said Jeff Stollenwerk, Duluth Seaway Port Authority director of government and environmental affairs. “It provides a tangible scoreboard for environmental stewardship, with benchmarks that become increasingly stringent from year to year. That approach helps inspire participants to exceed regulatory requirements.”
The voluntary Green Marine certification program began in 2007 and now includes nearly 170 participating ship owners, port authorities, seaway corporations, terminal operators and shipyard managers. Program participants must adopt practices and technologies that continually reduce their environmental footprint on the land, air and sea. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has participated since the program’s inception.
Duluth Seaway Port Authority
