Cruise ships to bring $230M in economic impact to Great Lakes region in 2025

The cruise ship industry is expected to have a $230 million economic impact on the Great Lakes region in 2025, according to a forecast.

Cruise the Great Lakes, a marketing program focused on attracting more passengers to the region, predicts continued growth next year as a defunct cruise line returns to the freshwater seas.

“As we look to 2025, we’re excited to see continued growth in the Great Lakes cruise sector,” said Cathleen Domanico, tourism director of Cruise the Great Lakes. “We forecast this upcoming season to be even stronger than 2024, both in terms of passenger numbers and economic impact, which underscores the appeal of cruising in the Great Lakes.”

About 22,000 passengers are expected to cruise the Great Lakes in 2025 on ships from Pearl Seas, Viking, St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd and Victory.

Victory Cruise Lines is returning to the region with two ships for the first time since 2022. The ships, Victory I and Victory II, sailed in 2023 as Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager under American Queen Voyages; that company has since filed for bankruptcy and the ships were sold at auction for $2 million to the previous owner of Victory who is now reviving the brand.

Between the six cruise lines, a total of 700 port visits are expected next year, which is a 30% increase over 2024. With an estimated 22,000 individual passengers, the total number of cruise passenger visits across the region is estimated to exceed 150,000.

Read more at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/life/2024/11/cruise-ships-to-bring-230m-in-economic-impact-to-great-lakes-region-in-2025.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawGx1kZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbTkgr_RzjgIB7WwW57Dm7R6QCt8aZe81Onwj3mF1sHl7zQ_4vAfTZsaoA_aem_iZx4REgu9RTZv5gF5RMigA

Canadian Freighter Tim S. Dool Still Hard Aground in St. Lawrence River

A Canadian-flagged bulk carrier, the Tim S. Dool, remians hard aground on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River, prompting a complex salvage operation.

The grounding occurred Saturday at approximately 12:30 p.m. near Crysler Shoal, as the vessel was carrying a cargo of Canadian wheat.

The 57-year-old bulk carrier, owned by Algoma Central Corporation, remains stable outside the navigation channel. Officials report no injuries, water intake, or environmental concerns, and navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway continues to operate normally.

“Work is underway to finalize a salvage plan,” said the Canadian-based St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

Recovery efforts are expected to focus on lightening the vessel’s load with tugs on standby.

Maritime expert Michael Folsom of the Seaway Ship Watchers Network explains the challenge ahead: “The bow of Tim S Dool is about 3 ft out of the water from where it would be if in the channel. It will take a lot of this load coming off the ship in order to refloat,” he wrote on X.

The cause of the grounding remains under investigation, with authorities confirming no other vessels were involved in the incident.

gCaptain

Toledo museum celebrates Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center on Dec. 7. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Tim S. Dool remains aground

The Algoma Central Corp. bulker Tim S. Door remains aground on Crysler Island Shoal, east of Morrisburg, ON, after she ran aground on Saturday. Early efforts to free her by raising the water level in the area by two feet were unsuccessful. She is loaded with grain for Quebec City.

There is no information on what caused the incident or on the extent of damages. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says there were no injuries and there is no reported pollution or ingress of material into the water. The ship is currently stable and remains outside the navigation channel, the corporation said in a statement.

Possible solutions include lightering some of her grain cargo so tugs can pull her free. A salvage plan is being developed and must be approved by Transport Canada.

The fixed channel marker is on the south side of the channel, and she is south of it. She is up by the bow and listing slightly to port. The wreck of the Eastcliffe Hall, which sank there on July 14, 1970, is very close to her stern.

Tug Robinson Bay Transferred to
Great Lakes Maritime Academy

Massena, N.Y. – Last week the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) proudly completed the formal transfer of the Robinson Bay tugboat to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy during a ceremony at Eisenhower Lock. This vessel, built in 1958, will now serve as a training platform for the Academy’s maritime students, fostering the education of future mariners.  At the ceremony, GLS Administrator Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent Jerry Achenbach, and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jon Hickey made remarks.

Tindall-Schlicht highlighted the importance of this donation, stating, “By placing this iconic tugboat in the hands of an institution dedicated to maritime excellence, we are ensuring that the Robinson Bay remains an active part of the Great Lakes maritime community, contributing to both its legacy and its future. We look forward to witnessing how the Academy utilizes this vessel to promote stewardship and education on the Great Lakes.”

The Great Lakes Maritime Academy, based in Traverse City, Michigan, is committed to using the Robinson Bay to provide hands-on training that prepares students for real-world careers in maritime. Superintendent Jerry Achenbach expressed the Academy’s excitement: “This generous contribution from the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation provides our students with an invaluable tool for real-world learning. The Robinson Bay will be a cornerstone of our training program, and we are honored to uphold its legacy.”

Rear Admiral Jon P. Hickey, U.S. Coast Guard added, “Today’s transfer of the Robinson Bay tugboat represents a remarkable investment in the future of our maritime workforce and the legacy of the Great Lakes. This vessel has served with distinction for over six decades, and now, in the hands of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, it will continue to shape and inspire the next generation of mariners. The Coast Guard is proud to support initiatives like these that strengthen our maritime heritage, bolster workforce readiness, and foster a deep respect for the unique waterways we are all dedicated to preserving.”

Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

Toledo museum celebrates Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center on Dec. 7. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Federal Michigan enters Seaway on maiden voyage

Saturday morning, Fednav’s new Federal Michigan made her inaugural trip in the St. Lawrence Seaway, destination Hamilton. At the Côte Ste-Catherine lock, it met a fleet mate, the Federal Beauport.

Rene Beauchamp

Tim S. Dool remains aground in Seaway near Morrisburg

Just after noon Saturday, Tim S. Dool, loaded with grain for Quebec City, went out of the shipping channel and grounded on Crysler Island Shoal, east of Morrisburg, ON. The fixed channel marker is on the south side of the channel, and she is south of it. She is up by the bow and listing slightly to port. The wreck of the Eastcliffe Hall, which sank there on July 14, 1970, is very close to her stern.

There were no injuries and traffic is moving normally. There is no information on what caused the incident or on the extent of damages. According to AIS Sunday morning, there are no tugs in the area, although a salvage plan is likely in the works.

Tim S. Dool was built in 1967 as Senneville and later sailed as Algoville. She is the oldest vessel in the Algoma Central fleet.

New Corps of Engineers’ tugs for the Soo
nearing completion at Louisiana shipyard

Conrad Shipyard’s new construction facilities in Louisiana are “going and blowing,” according to Conrad Shipyard vice president of business development Robert Sampey.

At Conrad’s Morgan City, LA, yard, a pair of icebreaking tugs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are well underway, a 6,000-hp towboat was taking shape, several barges were being assembled and the first of four ferries for Puerto Rico and a new hybrid-electric passenger vehicle ferry for the Trust for Governors Island in New York were in the water.

The two Detroit ice-class tugs for the U.S. CoE will operate on the St Marys River and Soo Harbor in the Upper Great Lakes in assisting the mobilization of various floating equipment, as well as breaking ice up to 300 mm thick.

The diesel-powered, twin-screw tugs, which will be named H.J. Lawson and R.J. Pierce, are being built to ABS standards and will have 1,200 kW of propulsion power. Harold J. Lawson (1934 – 2018) served as Soo Locks Area Engineer was assistant project engineer during deepening of the rock-cut channel at Neebish island and construction of the Poe Lock.

Delivery will be at the end of 2024 or early 2025. Their arrival will likely spell the end for some of the older, smaller tugs stationed at the Soo.

At other Conrad yards, a series of large construction barges for an undisclosed customer were in various stages of build, modules for a tank barge were visible and a massive trailing suction hopper dredge dominated the landscape at the Conrad Deepwater South yard. At Conrad Amelia, a government contract for the US Navy’s new generation Yard, Repair, Berthing and Messing (YRBM) vessel program is full steam ahead.

Riviera Maritime Media

Toledo museum celebrates Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

BREAKING NEWS
Tim S. Dool aground in Seaway near Morrisburg

Just after noon Saturday, Tim S. Dool, loaded with grain for Quebec City, went out of the shipping channel and grounded on Crysler Island Shoal, east of Morrisburg, ON. The fixed channel marker is on the south side of the channel, and she is south of it. She is up by the bow and listing slightly to port. Water is being pumped out of the forepeak. The wreck of the Eastcliffe Hall, which sank there on July 14, 1970, is very close to her stern.

Tim S. Dool was built in 1967 as Senneville. She is the oldest vessel in the Algoma Central fleet.

Ron Beaupre

USS Beloit Will Be Commissioned In Milwaukee On Saturday

This coming Saturday, November 23rd at 10 am the U.S. Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) will be commissioned at Veteran’s Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront.  It is LCS-29 USS BELOIT, a Freedom class mono-hull ship, which was launched in Marinette, Wis., in 2022.  Having completed her sea trials last August, she will formally be accepted into the Navy on Saturday.

USS BELOIT displaces 3,410 metric tons on a hull that is 388 feet long, 58 feet wide, and draws 14 feet of water.  She has a crew of 50 sailors and can move at over 40 knots.

She is the first ship named Beloit which honors both the city and also the contributions made to the Navy by Beloit based diesel engine manufacturer Fairbanks-Morse, which has been making diesel engines since 1912 and built the diesel engine that powers this ship.

Her sponsor will be Beloit born retired U.S. Army Major General Marcia Anderson, the first African-American woman to reach the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army.

The commissioning ceremony is paid for by private donations. In addition, there is a private fund established to help the crew of USS BELOIT. According to Spectrum News, its lead contributor is 98 year old World War II Valor Vet George Olson. George survived the sinking of his ship the destroyer USS TWIGGS off Okinawa in June 1945. TWIGGS was hit by two kamikaze attacks and a torpedo and sank with the loss of 126 men. After the war George went on to work at Fairbanks-Morse for 40 years.

Further information can be found at: https://www.ussbeloit.org/the-ship

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Sault area residents reporting low water levels on St. Marys River

Sault Ste. Marie, MI – “Water supply conditions were drier than average in both the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron basins in October,” the International Joint Commission states on its website. The commission deals with issues affecting the many waterways along the Canada – U.S. border.

It says Lake Superior declined by 10 cm (3.9 inches) in October while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for Lake Superior to decline by 4 cm (1.6 inches) in October.

Lakes Michigan and Huron declined by 17 cm (6.7 inches) last month, while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for those lakes to decline by 7 cm (2.8 inches) in October.

At the beginning of November, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Superior was 19 cm (7.5 inches) below the seasonal long-term average and 19 cm (7.5 inches) below the level of a year ago.

At the beginning of this month, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron was 7 cm (2.8 inches) below the seasonal long-term average and 21 cm (8.3 inches) below the level of a year ago.

If weather and water supply conditions are near average, Lake Superior may decline by approximately 5 cm (2.0 inches) and Lake Michigan-Huron may decline by approximately 6 cm (2.4 inches).

If conditions are much wetter than average, Lake Superior may rise by as much as 2 cm (0.8 inches) and Lake Michigan-Huron may rise by approximately 2 cm (0.8 inches).

If conditions are much drier than average, the water level of Lake Superior may drop by approximately 10 cm (3.9 inches) and Lake Michigan-Huron may decrease by as much as 12 cm (4.7 inches).

“Any low water conditions being observed may be attributed to a localized weather driven effect. Winds in the Great Lakes region can have a significant impact on local water levels, essentially blowing water from one portion of a lake to another,” said Todd Ehret, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oceanographer, in an email to SooToday.

“This can create a ‘low water’ condition in one area while raising water levels in another. When the wind changes direction, the water levels will change in response. If this is a localized weather driven condition, it will likely change when the wind and weather changes.”

This would have no lasting detrimental effect on the environment and Sault and Algoma District residents, the NOAA states.

“If this is a weather driven effect, it will likely have minimal effect on the environment, and what effects it has will be short-lived,” Ehret said.

Soo Today

USS Beloit Will Be Commissioned In Milwaukee On Saturday

This coming Saturday, November 23rd at 10 am the U.S. Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) will be commissioned at Veteran’s Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront.  It is LCS-29 USS BELOIT, a Freedom class mono-hull ship, which was launched in Marinette, Wis., in 2022.  Having completed her sea trials last August, she will formally be accepted into the Navy on Saturday.

USS BELOIT displaces 3,410 metric tons on a hull that is 388 feet long, 58 feet wide, and draws 14 feet of water.  She has a crew of 50 sailors and can move at over 40 knots.

She is the first ship named Beloit which honors both the city and also the contributions made to the Navy by Beloit based diesel engine manufacturer Fairbanks-Morse, which has been making diesel engines since 1912 and built the diesel engine that powers this ship.

Her sponsor will be Beloit born retired U.S. Army Major General Marcia Anderson, the first African-American woman to reach the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army.

The commissioning ceremony is paid for by private donations. In addition, there is a private fund established to help the crew of USS BELOIT. According to Spectrum News, its lead contributor is 98 year old World War II Valor Vet George Olson. George survived the sinking of his ship the destroyer USS TWIGGS off Okinawa in June 1945. TWIGGS was hit by two kamikaze attacks and a torpedo and sank with the loss of 126 men. After the war George went on to work at Fairbanks-Morse for 40 years.

Further information can be found at: https://www.ussbeloit.org/the-ship

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Put-in-Bay gets $10.4 million for ferry infrastructure upgrades

Roger LaPointe
Port Clinton News Herald

PUT-IN-BAY – A $10.4 million award from the U.S. Department of Transportation will go to the Put-in-Bay Township Port Authority for a new breakwater project and expand the ferry dock infrastructure on South Bass Island.

 This is Phase I of the Breakwater for Main Ferry Terminal project, which provides critical infrastructure upgrades to protect the ferry dock from rough weather and rising lake levels.

The announcement was made by Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. The DOT award comes through the FY24 Port Infrastructure Development Program.

“This major federal investment in Put-in-Bay’s ferry infrastructure will secure safe, resilient transit between Ohio’s mainland and South Bass Island — a cherished economic and cultural hub. Rising lake levels and severe weather increasingly threaten ferry operations, and this new (breakwater) will safeguard vital routes for passengers, goods, and emergency services,” Kaptur said.

The money will fund the construction of a second dock and a 406-foot stone breakwater to bolster the safety and resiliency of the main ferry terminal, commonly associated with the Miller Ferry Line, at the south end of South Bass Island.

The improvements will directly support the operations of Miller Boat Line, Inc., a primary ferry operator on Lake Erie. As ferry transportation is the primary means of accessing South Bass Island, the upgrades will benefit nearly 850,000 annual visitors and the island’s year-round residents.

Jacob Market, project manager of the Miller Boat Line, said the grant will cover 90% of the estimated costs of the project, with the rest covered by Miller.

“We believe it will pay itself off within 15 years, just for that phase alone. So it’s a good investment for the federal government. It’s not like it’s just going to go away and never be seen again,” Market said. “There’s going to be returns on this for generations to come. The boat line is going to pay (the balance) ourselves. There will be no local tax burden.”

The construction of this breakwater will offer a critical layer of protection, ensuring continued safe transit during storms, heavy winds, or other adverse conditions.

The project will also create a designated maintenance berth, allowing for secure mooring of ferries during repairs and serving as an alternate loading area for passengers, vehicles, and cargo when the main dock is unavailable.

“The Port Authority will own the property that the breakwater is on,” Market said. “The current pier that the ferry docks at is unprotected from several directions, and it’s really the wind. We have to cancel lots of trips every year because of strong east winds and rising lake levels and seiche.”

The Miller Ferry calculated that the island loses about $2.5 million in revenue annually due to those cancelations.

Seiche is a water phenomena, similar to tides, that are “caused when strong winds and rapid changes in atmospheric pressure push water from one end of a body of water to the other…As recently as 2008, strong winds created waves 12 to 16 feet high in Lake Erie, leading to flooding near Buffalo, New York,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted.

“The docks weren’t built for that high of water, and we are in a cycle of high water right in, in all of the Great Lakes, and it just compounds all those problems,” Market said. “It affects the boat business, but also the local economy. We have a lot of commuters and a lot of the little businesses here; if they lose a weekend, that’s huge … I think that was one of the compelling facts, allowing us to get this grant.”

“We’re super excited about this project,” Market said. “The Port Authority and Miller Boat Line are partners in this venture. We’ve been applying for this program for six years through various funds and grants, and this is the one we’ve applied to for the last several times.”

Phase 2 of the project, if funded, would extend the breakwater to approximately 700 feet. According to Market, plans have not been completed for that phase.

rlapointe@gannett.com

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Explosion damages Superior grain elevator

The Superior Fire Department responded to the report of an explosion at the Vitera Grain Elevator Monday evening. This happened at 400 Main St. on Connor’s Point at 6:20 p.m.

All the workers were evacuated and accounted for. The Fire Department says there was no active fire found except several smoldering hot spots, which crews extinguished.

In a press release, Superior Fire says the explosion happened in the basement of the plant and traveled up and through the loading tower. There is damage to the structure along with the bells and hatches over the belt. The grain elevator was said to be in normal operation during the time of the explosion.

Crews left the scene of the grain elevator at 8:44 p.m.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation. All three Superior Fire engines and the Battalion Chief responded. Viterra employees, Superior Police, and Mayo Ambulance also responded.

WDIO

New marine sanctuary spotlights a ‘submerged museum’ on Lake Ontario

By Anna Barnes | November 16, 2024

After seven years of planning, a new marine sanctuary now protects a portion of Lake Ontario rich with history and shipwrecks. The community-driven designation aims to benefit the area through preservation, economic development and conservation.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates marine sanctuaries to preserve sites with national significance, such as important archeology, culture or marine life.

The new sanctuary, established in June, covers a large swath of eastern Lake Ontario bordering New York’s Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga and Wayne counties, according to NOAA.

NOAA selected the area for its historic, cultural and archaeological significance, referring to it as the gateway between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.

The sanctuary is the first in New York and the third on the Great Lakes. The others are on Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay in Michigan and Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coast.

The four counties bordering the preserve, along with the State of New York, nominated the area for sanctuary status in January 2017. NOAA then opened the nomination for public comment and incorporated that feedback into a management plan and environmental impact statement.

“It’s a deliberative process that does take time but we’re very proud of the number of times or the engagement we have with the public to get feedback on our proposal,” said Ellen Brody, Great Lakes regional coordinator for NOAA.

The agency considered three options for the sanctuary boundary, with the largest encompassing 1,786 square miles, 63 known shipwrecks and a portion of the St. Lawrence River. NOAA ultimately chose a smaller sanctuary that excludes the river and covers 1,722 square miles with 41 known shipwrecks.

NOAA selected the smaller boundary because commenters were worried about diver safety and navigational challenges for vessels in the St. Lawrence River, which is known for unpredictable weather, according to the management plan.

Boundaries: NOAA excluded the St. Lawrence River from the sanctuary after hearing public comments concerned with the safety of divers and shipping channel navigation. CRED: NOAA

While preserving the area’s many shipwrecks was a primary purpose for setting aside this portion of Lake Ontario, that’s just one reason for creating a marine sanctuary, Brody said.

“People do think mostly about shipwrecks but it could be Indigenous history,” Brody said. “It could be the remnants of old docks and piers, you know, prehistoric, so it is a broad definition of historic resources.”

Recognizing Indigenous history was among the goals for establishing the Lake Ontario sanctuary, and NOAA included tribal groups in its designation process, Brody said.

“These were historically Onondaga Nation lands,” she said. “We worked with the Onondaga Nation throughout the designation process as their reservation lands are south of the sanctuary around Syracuse.”

She said it’s NOAA’s intent to tell the area’s history beginning before the European settlement of the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario’s cultural history goes back farther than the other two sanctuaries on the Great Lakes and its shipwrecks are older than theirs are, Brody said.

NOAA calls the sanctuary a “submerged museum” because the cold, fresh water of Lake Ontario has done a great job of preserving the wrecks.

Brody said the history is important to tell in a designated marine sanctuary because it’s much harder for people to go diving than it is to hike a trail at a national park, for example.

“We are hoping to have some kind of NOAA presence, whether it’s some type of visitor center or programming along the coast of the sanctuary to tell these stories,” Brody said. She said it takes time for NOAA to get infrastructure settled after the designation.

Michael Pittavino, the curator of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, said the museum had personnel involved in the nomination process to help justify the designation.

“Our objective is to preserve, promote and share the regional history of Lake Ontario with particular emphasis on its maritime significance,” Pittavino said. “A designation of a heritage-based sanctuary really just enables our organization or organizations like ours to be at the forefront of that interpretation.”

He said the sanctuary has potential to grow the local economy and create new opportunities for the museum.

“Increases in tourism, visitation and cultural institutions just leads to a healthier atmosphere, a healthier financial standing,” Pittavino said.

Alpena, Michigan, has attracted more tourists since NOAA established the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 2000. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center consistently receives around 100,000 visitors per year, said Sarah Morrison, the center’s media and outreach director.

Pittavino said he has already noticed an increase in awareness and interest in the cultural resources the Lake Ontario designation is meant to protect. While the shipwrecks have taken the spotlight, interest has also grown in land-based activities like the museum’s tours of the nearby Oswego lighthouse.

“Long-term we hope to see an increase in awareness in all sorts of issues related to that body of water,” Pittavino said.

Great Lakes’ water temperatures are very warm for November, still 60 degrees on one lake

All of the Great Lakes are running warmer than normal. It’s no surprise the Great Lakes are warmer than normal since our air temperatures have been warmer than normal for quite some time.

 The biggest Great Lake’s average surface water temperature is 46.9 degrees. This may sound cold for swimming, and it is cold – but not for Nov. 17 on Lake Superior. The long-term average for Nov. 17 is more than 3 degrees lower: 43.4 degrees.

 Read more at these MLive links:

https://www.mlive.com/weather/2024/11/great-lakes-water-temperatures-are-very-warm-for-november-still-60-degrees-on-one-lake.html

https://www.mlive.com/weather/2024/11/lake-superior-near-record-warmth-could-act-as-buffer-to-cold-air-from-canada.html

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Could museum’s cruise-ship tours lead to future Toledo port calls?

TOLEDO, OH – When passengers from Victory Cruise Lines voyages on the Great Lakes visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes next year, they’ll reach Toledo by bus, not boat.

But leaders at the museum, Destination Toledo, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority all believe the Detroit-based shore excursions can be a stepping-off point toward bringing passenger cruises to the city.

Victory Cruise Lines vessels are scheduled to stop in Detroit 34 times during that company’s Great Lakes cruising season in 2025, said Kate Fineske, the local museum’s executive director.

Providing Victory passengers with an option to visit the museum as a shore excursion from Detroit “takes a step forward to getting more folks to discover beautiful Toledo by giving cruise passengers whose itinerary includes a Detroit stop an exclusive opportunity to visit the National Museum of the Great Lakes,” Ms. Fineske said.

“We are excited to showcase our community in hopes it is a first step toward cruise ships coming to Toledo,” she said. The excursions will effectively be “one big site visit of our downtown, highlighting our unique relationship with the Great Lakes, and we are putting our best foot forward.”

Victory’s onboard LakeLorian programming for its customers is expected to stoke interest in Great Lakes history. As part of its agreement with the cruise line, the Toledo museum will provide onboard history lecture support for a historian on the ships, onboard temporary exhibits, “and other ways to authentically share Great Lakes history with cruise passengers,” Ms. Fineske said.

Destination Toledo, a nonprofit arm of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce promoting local tourism and conventions, is paying for the buses to get Victory’s passengers from Detroit to Toledo.

Lance Woodworth, that agency’s president and chief executive officer, said the shore excursion can be the start of creating “a groundswell of interest and positive feedback” about Toledo.

While he said he couldn’t predict how far out Toledo’s earliest opportunity for a cruise call might be, Mr. Woodworth said the effort to attract one has to get going for that to ever happen.

“The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the next best time is today,” he said. “This will start getting some of these passengers that are on these boats into our town.”

The next port call by a cruise ship would be Toledo’s first since the late 1990s, when the M/V Nantucket Clipper paid several visits and the M/V C. Columbus made a single appearance to pick up a boatload of German tourists at the start of a Great Lakes itinerary.

But after the Nantucket Clipper was delayed 45 minutes at the CSX Transportation railroad bridge in the Maumee River during a visit, its tours the following year skipped Toledo, and Clipper Cruise Line did not repeat its ship’s visit, either.

Port officials said at the time that the operational uncertainty created by Toledo’s railroad bridges were among several factors that worked against it in attracting relatively limited cruise opportunities. Another was the relative difficulty in adding a Toledo side trip to voyages crossing Lake Erie, as the Toledo Harbor Channel is a multihour journey in each direction to get to the main ship route in the northwestern part of the lake.

But Great Lakes cruising is expanding again, particularly since the decline of the coronavirus pandemic, and that may work in Toledo’s favor, said Joe Cappel, vice president of business development at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

“I do see it changing. Great Lakes cruising is starting to catch fire again,” Mr. Cappel said.

The cruise lines have a lot of repeat clientele, he said, and “they will be looking for diverse itineraries.” The museum’s initiative will let Toledo “get a foot in the door.”

“They’re starting to do smaller ports, like Muskegon, Michigan. To become part of the itinerary for any cruise line, it takes years of building relationships. We’re starting one,” Mr. Cappel said.

“We’re well positioned for [the role of] that boutique city,” Mr. Woodworth said. “Toledo is clean, safe, and walkable. We just need to be ready when that opportunity presents itself.”

Providing transportation from Detroit to Toledo for the museum tours, he said, was vital to Victory adding those tours to its offerings. “Without us stepping in to do that lift for them, they [the Toledo excursions] just weren’t going to work for them,” Mr. Woodworth said.

Among major considerations for future cruise-ship calls will be where such a vessel would dock. Mr. Cappel noted that both International Park and the dockface near Holcim Cement on Water Street both hosted such vessels in the past.

The museum building itself, meanwhile, was built mainly using federal funds directed toward ferry services and was designed to potentially handle cruises as well.

But after port officials’ efforts to incubate any ferry service there foundered, the museum concept was developed, and in 2014 the museum freighter S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker was moved from International Park to the wharf by the museum that might otherwise have been used by cruise ships.

Mr. Cappel said the port authority has a study pending of possible dock-wall improvements in front of International Park, and “there probably would be some dredging as well” if that location were to become the docking spot for cruise ships.

“We would have to work together on how to pay for it,” he said before noting that a cruise terminal also would need to have tour-bus access to support shore-tour transportation.

The LakeLorian presenters aboard the Victory vessels next cruising season will be Victory employees trained by the National Museum of the Great Lakes to give presentations about the lakes’ history, science, and overall significance.

“Victory’s fleet will serve as floating extensions of our museum, delivering dynamic programming to travelers and creating a unique learning experience both on the waters of the Great Lakes and at the museum in Toledo,” Ms. Fineske said. “We look forward to sharing the science and stories of these extraordinary lakes.”

Two of the LakeLorian trainees came to Toledo last month, she said, while others will be trained online. “This is a great step in the right direction,” Ms. Fineske said. “People will get down here and really see what this community is about.”

DAVID PATCH – The Blade

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/

Canada’s Labor Board Orders Port of Montreal Dockworkers Back to Work

November 15, 2024

(Reuters) – Canada’s Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered a resumption of operations at the Port of Montreal from Saturday morning, the port’s employers association said, after the federal government stepped in and directed the labor board to end port disputes.

Canada on Tuesday intervened to end the labor disputes at the country’s biggest ports, including Vancouver in British Columbia and Montreal in Quebec, citing economic damage and the potential for driving away trading partners.

It was the second time in three months that the Liberal government has stepped in to halt a labor dispute. In August, it ordered an end to work stoppages at the country’s two largest railway companies.

The Maritime Employers Association (MEA) said it would comply with the labor board’s directive, allowing Montreal port operators to resume activity over the weekend.

The Montreal Longshoremen’s Union on Sunday rejected a final offer made for a new labor contract, leading to a lockout being declared.

The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours on resumption of activities.

The dispute, which Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said was affecting more than C$1.3 billion ($924.35 million) in goods every day, has impacted shipments of canola oil, forest products and other goods.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514, which represents supervisory longshore workers in the British Columbia dispute, said on Tuesday it would file a legal challenge to the minister’s orders.

The BC Maritime Employers Association, which represents West Coast port employers including in Vancouver, said it received the order from the labor board on Wednesday to resume operations on Thursday.

($1 = 1.4064 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Toledo museum celebrates the Christmas Tree Ship’s legacy

On November 23, 1912, the schooner Rouse Simmons sank while carrying Christmas trees. Known as the Christmas Tree Ship, its captain, Herman E. Schuenemann (a.k.a. “Captain Santa”), was known for giving trees to families in need.

The story of the ship’s history and captain is the inspiration behind the National Museum of the Great Lakes annual Community Giveback Event—The Christmas Tree Ship, presented by The University of Toledo Medical Center. Enjoy free museum admission all day long and make memories that last a lifetime! Watch Santa arrive at the museum’s dock aboard a Geo. Gradel Co. tugboat delivering a Christmas Tree into your hands or the hands of someone in need.

Community Giveback Day Itinerary

    10 AM – 5 PM: Museum Admission Free All Day

    11 AM: Enjoy the East Toledo Holiday Parade

    1:15 PM: Watch the Ship’s Journey to the Museum via Livestream

    1:30 PM: Santa Arrives to the Museum’s Docks

    1:45 – 3:45 PM: Meet and Greet with Santa

Not able to join in person? Tune into our Facebook page around 1:15 p.m. for a livestream of the ship’s journey down the Maumee River. Get a tour of the Christmas Tree Ship, learn more about the story that inspired our event, and meet the individuals onboard, including Santa!

Read more here: https://nmgl.org/event/christmas-tree-ship24/