SS Keewatin facts for kids
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|} The SS Keewatin is a special old ship called a passenger liner. It used to sail between cities like Thunder Bay on Lake Superior and Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada. This ship carried people and goods for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Keewatin is very important because it is one of the largest Edwardian era passenger ships still around. It's like a floating piece of history!
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Keewatin |
| Owner | Canadian Pacific Steamship Company |
| Port of registry |  Montreal |
| Builder | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland |
| Launched | 6 July 1907 |
| Christened | 1907 |
| Maiden voyage | 14 September 1907 |
| In service | 7 October 1908 |
| Out of service | 29 November 1965 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Passenger liner |
| Tonnage | 3,856 GRT |
| Length | 102.6 m (336 ft 7 in) pp |
| Beam | 13.3 m (43 ft 8 in) |
| Draught | 23 ft 7 in (7.2 m) |
| Installed power | 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) nominal |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) max |
| Capacity | 288 |
| Crew | 86 |
About the Keewatin
The Keewatin is a passenger liner. When it was built, it measured 3,856 gross tons. The ship is about 102.6 meters (336 feet) long. It is also 13.3 meters (43 feet) wide.
The ship was powered by four large coal-fired boilers. These boilers made steam for a special steam engine. This engine turned a single propeller. It gave the ship a lot of power, about 3,000 horsepower. The Keewatin could travel at a top speed of 16 knots (about 30 kilometers per hour).
The ship had 108 rooms for passengers. It could carry 288 people. There were also 86 officers and crew members working on board.
Building the Ship and Its Journeys
The Keewatin was built in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. It was launched into the water on July 6, 1907. The ship was finished in September of that year.
For its first trip, the ship sailed to Lévis, Quebec. There, it had to be cut in half! This was because the canals, like the Welland Canal, were not wide enough. After being cut, it was put back together in Buffalo, New York. Then, it continued its journey to Owen Sound, Ontario.
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The Ship's Route
The Keewatin was built to connect parts of the Canadian Pacific Railway route. It sailed between Owen Sound and Fort William Port Arthur. These cities are on Lake Superior.
In 1912, the ships moved to Port McNicoll, Ontario. This new port was a big hub for trains and ships. The journey across the lakes took about two and a half days. This included going through the Soo Locks. Port McNicoll was a very busy place.
The Keewatin and its sister ship, Assiniboia, followed strict rules. These rules were for ships with wooden cabins. This was after a big ship fire in 1949. Over time, fewer people wanted to travel by ship. They chose faster ways to travel.
So, the Keewatin stopped carrying passengers in 1965. It continued to carry only goods until 1967. The Keewatin was one of the last old-style passenger ships on the Great Lakes. It stopped working on November 29, 1965.
Soon after, it was bought to be saved as a historic ship. Its sister ship, Assiniboia, was also going to be saved. But it sadly burned down in 1971.
A Ship Becomes a Museum
In 1967, a man named Roland J. Peterson Sr. bought the Keewatin. He paid $37,000 for it. This was more than it would have sold for as scrap metal. The ship arrived in Douglas, Michigan, on June 27, 1967.
The ship became the Keewatin Maritime Museum. It was docked there from 1968 until 2012. In 2011, the Keewatin was bought by Skyline Marine. It was moved from the Kalamazoo River to Lake Michigan.
Moving the Keewatin Home
In August 2011, it was announced the ship was sold. It was going back to its home port of Port McNicoll, Ontario. This happened on June 23, 2012. The plan was to restore it and make it a museum. It would also be a place for events.
A special group, the Diane and RJ Peterson Keewatin Foundation, was formed. They would operate and restore the ship. Skyline Developments helped fund the project.
The Keewatin left Kalamazoo Lake on May 31, 2012. It then sailed to Lake Michigan. From there, it traveled north to Mackinaw City. Finally, it reached Port McNicoll.
On June 23, 2012, there was a big celebration. It marked the Keewatin's return home. This was 45 years after it left Port McNicoll. It was also 100 years after it first started working from that dock.
In 2017, there were talks about moving the Keewatin to Midland, Ontario. But it stayed in Port McNicoll for another summer. In 2019, a company planned to keep the ship as a museum. It would be in a park next to new buildings.
However, in 2020, the owners decided to donate the ship. They planned to give it to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes. This museum is in Kingston. The museum officially got the Keewatin in March 2023.
The Keewatin left Port McNicoll on April 24, 2023. Volunteers had spent weeks getting it ready. The ship arrived at Heddle Shipyards in Hamilton Harbour. It will get repairs there before moving to Kingston.
Keewatin in Movies and TV
The Keewatin has been used in many documentaries and TV shows. It has been a set for stories about other famous ships. These include the Lusitania, Yarmouth Castle, and Titanic.
The ship was also used in an episode of the TV show Murdoch Mysteries. A documentary about saving the Keewatin was also made. It was called "Bring Her on Home: The Return of S.S. Keewatin." This documentary was shown on CBC Canada.
