OWEN SOUND, ON – The ferry Chi-Cheemaun has left its winter berth in Owen Sound to begin the 2026 summer sailing season. The “Big Canoe” left the Owen Sound harbor at around noon on Thursday on its sold-out Spring Repositioning Cruise to Tobermory. The ferry began ferrying passengers and vehicles between tip of the Bruce Peninsula and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island on Friday, with daily sailings scheduled to run until Oct. 18. This year, a Sail Through Time exhibit is being featured on board the ship, including historic photographs and artifacts. The exhibit is free to visit during sails.
On June 13, there will be a festival cruise aboard the ferry, which includes a night of evening sailing along Tobermory’s shoreline, complete with a barbecue meal and fireworks display, weather permitting, held in partnership with Tobermory’s Chi-Cheemaun Festival Committee. Additional information, including when tickets will go on sale, will be announced on the OSTC website at www.ontarioferries.com.
A fall repositioning cruise for the Chi-Cheemaun has not been scheduled, as the ferry is slated for its five-year dry dock inspection at the end of the season in October.
As one of the most recognizable ferries in Canada, the MS Chi-Cheemaun continues to be an integral symbol of Georgian Bay and has carried an estimated 10 million passengers and 3 million vehicles, completing 24,000 voyages between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island since 1974.
Owen Sound Transportation Co. and Owen Sound Sun Times
The Chi-Cheemaun. [Owen Sound Transportation Co.]
