Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited
Encyclopedia
Tobermory, Ontario
Tobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada. It is 300 km northwest of Toronto...
on the Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada that lies between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to...
, and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
. For updated information, see M.S. Chi-Cheemaun
Chi-Cheemaun
MS Chi-Cheemaun is a passenger and car ferry in Ontario, Canada, which traverses Lake Huron between Tobermory on Bruce Peninsula and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. The ferry connects the two geographically separate portions of Highway 6 and is the vessel that replaced MS Norgoma and SS...
.
Owen Sound Transportation Company
The Owen Sound Transportation Company was established by businessmen in the Owen SoundOwen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
area, in 1921. These included W. G. Hay, president; J. H. Hay, vice president; and J. Garvey, secretary-treasurer. These three men were also associated with the Owen Sound-based North American Bent Chair Company. Their objective was to use the company’s steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, SS Michipicoten, in freight-only service from Owen Sound to isolated communities along the north shore of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
and Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
.
It is likely the intended purpose of the navigation company was to procure the materials necessary for the manufacture of the North American Bent Chair Company's Bentwood
Bentwood
Bentwood is a term used to describe furniture made by steaming wood, bending it, and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns, and is most often used in the production of rocking chairs, cafe chairs, and other light furniture. The iconic No...
chairs,as well as the transportation of packaged freight from Owen Sound. It was the objective of the officers of the firm to carry on the business of the furniture manufacturer as a subsidiary of Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC).
Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited
Early in 1921, a rumor circulated through Owen Sound-- a new steamboat line was being formed to re-establish cruises to the popular tourist destination of Mackinac IslandMackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
. Promoted by a Collingwood steamship line, from the late nineteenth century until about 1903 these steamboat excursions crossing Lake Huron were popular from the Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
area. But it was not until the spring of 1926 that the Owen Sound Board of Trade was appointed to form a committee to sell stock to finance the purchase of a steamship and refit it for reopening direct traffic between Owen Sound and other points on the Mackinac route. In 1926 the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited was granted supplementary letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
, under the Ontario Companies Act, increasing its authorized capital stock from $40,000 to $150,000.
In 1926 the OSTC purchased the steel-hulled, screw steamer Modjeska, a former Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
excursion boat, intended as a day cruiser. The ship had been laid up since 1924, following a serious collision in Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour
Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. It is a commercial port on the Great Lakes as well as a recreational harbour...
. Repaired and outfitted for service, the Modjeska arrived at Owen Sound late in the season, but with time enough to operate a few excursions, as well as two round trips to Sault Ste Marie. Over the following winter, the ship was equipped with cabins and staterooms to accommodate up to 150 passengers. Renamed SS Manitoulin, she began her first full season June 6, 1927, with Norman McKay as Captain.
Cruising the North Channel
The SS Manitoulin’s weekly schedule began with an 11:15 p.m. Monday departure from Owen Sound, arriving Tuesday morning at KillarneyKillarney, Ontario
Killarney is a municipality located on the northern shore of Georgian Bay in the Sudbury District of Ontario. It is also the name of the largest community within the municipality...
, then through the North Channel
North Channel (Ontario)
The North Channel is the body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is bordered on the east by Georgian Bay, on the west by the St. Marys River, to the north by the eastern Algoma District and to the south by the islands of Manitoulin, Cockburn,...
, calling at Manitowaning, Little Current, Gore Bay
Gore Bay, Ontario
Gore Bay is a town on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. Located on Gore Bay, a bay of Lake Huron's North Channel, it is one of the two incorporated towns of Manitoulin District....
, Meldrum Bay, Cockburn Island, Hilton Beach
Hilton Beach, Ontario
Hilton Beach is a village located in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the northeastern shore of St. Joseph Island in the North Channel of Lake Huron, approximately 60 kilometres from Sault Ste. Marie...
, Richards Landing, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, arriving at Mackinac Island, on Wednesday evening. Returning over the same route with departure from Mackinac Island at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Manitoulin arrived at Owen Sound on Saturday morning at 4:30. Weekend trips on the SS Manitoulin departed 11:15 p.m. Saturday, with calls at Killarney, Manitowaning and Little Current, followed by arrival back in Owen Sound at 4:30 Monday morning.
The SS Michipicoten continued on an unscheduled freight-only service between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie, calling at Manitoulin and North Shore
North Shore, Ontario
North Shore is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Algoma District. The township had a population of 549 in the Canada 2006 Census...
ports. The Michipicoten was destroyed by fire at the Cooks Dock, near Silverwater on Manitoulin Island, on October 11, 1927.
To replace the Michipicoten, the OSTC purchased the SS Macassa, then under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines’ Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company. The Macassa had completed her season on September 30, 1927, operating as a day excursion steamer between Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. The Macassa was originally part of the Toronto and Hamilton Steamboat Company, along with her sister ship, the SS Modjeska. Over the following winter in Toronto, she was converted for the accommodation of overnight passengers. Renamed SS Manasoo, she departed from Toronto for Owen Sound on April 16, 1928.
The 1928 OSTC schedule for the SS Manitoulin continued as it had the previous year, while the Manisoo departed Owen Sound on Thursdays at 11:15 p.m. for a run that did not include Mackinac Island. After completing her northward voyage at Sault Ste Marie, the Manisoo returned to Owen Sound at 4:30 Tuesday mornings.
On September 15, 1928, the Manasoo foundered near Griffith Island in Georgian Bay. While fighting a heavy storm, she capsized when her cargo of 116 cattle apparently shifted to one side, overbalancing her. The recent addition of increased passenger accommodations on her upper deck is also thought to have contributed to her instability. She sank quickly. The bodies of her cattle are said to have stocked many a winter larder along the shores that year. All five of the survivors drifted for 60 hours in a life raft before being picked up by the CPR
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
’s SS Manitoba.
Ferry Service to Manitoulin Island
From the commencement of their operations, the SS Manitoulin (1927) and SS Manasoo (1928) were capable of transporting automobiles. A competitor to the Owen Sound Transportation Company, the Dominion Transportation Company, also operated a pair of passenger and package freight vessels out of Owen Sound, over much the same route as the OSTC. In 1927 an automobile ferry, the SS Winona, provided service from Cutler to Gore Bay. Another automobile ferry serving Manitoulin Island was John Tackaberry’s Motor Ship Alice, which sailed on a return route from Owen Sound, via WiartonWiarton, Ontario
Wiarton is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. The community is part of the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario....
, Lion's Head
Lion's Head, Ontario
Lion's Head is a community in the municipality of North Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Located at the midway point of the Bruce Peninsula, about halfway between Owen Sound and Tobermory, Lion's Head is just east of Ferndale on Bruce Road 9. Lion's Head is located on the 45th...
, Tobermory to South Baymouth, and Providence Bay.
Throughout the 1927 season, Tackaberry operated the MS Alice on the run to Providence Bay. He was, however, unsatisfied with the performance of the ship. Anxious to dispose of her, Tackaberry sold the Alice to the Booth Fisheries Corporation of Canada Ltd. on April 3, 1928. Renamed MS Hibou to bring her in line with the other ships of the Dominion fleet (SS Caribou and SS Manitou-- "Hibou" is a French word meaning "owl"), she was operated for Booth by a subsidiary company, the Dominion Transportation Company Limited (DTC). She served Dominion's routes from Owen Sound to Manitoulin Island and the ports of Lake Huron's North Channel.
Tobermory - South Baymouth Ferry Service
In 1930, Captain R. Vittie and H W Harmer, of Southampton, OntarioSouthampton, Ontario
Southampton is a community of approximately 3083 people on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Saugeen River....
, obtained a charter for the Georgian Bay and Manitoulin Transportation Company. They had purchased John Tackaberry’s SS Henry Pedwell. The steamer was taken to Midland
Midland, Ontario
Midland is a town located on Georgian Bay in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.Situated at the southern end of Georgian Bay's 30,000 Islands, Midland is the economic centre of the region, with a 125-bed hospital and a local airport. It is the main town of the southern Georgian Bay area...
where it was widened and its gangway modified to accommodate automobiles. Later that summer the Henry Pedwell was placed in ferry service between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
With the 1930 season underway, OSTC purchased a retired Detroit Fire Department Fire boat, the SS James R Elliot, delivering it to the Midland Shipbuilding Company for conversion into a combination package freighter and passenger ferry. Replacing her boiler and steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
with a new diesel engine increased her freight capacity and enabled her to transport automobiles. Overnight passenger cabins were also added. In 1931 the vessel was renamed the MS Normac, after the OSTC's general manager Norman Mckay, captain of the SS Manitoulin.
The MS Normac began her scheduled route on July 16, 1931, taking the place formerly assigned to the SS Manasoo, leaving Owen Sound at 11:15 p.m. Thursdays and returning at 4:30 am on the following Tuesday. Meanwhile, with the SS Manitoulin continuing her weekly Monday evening departures from Owen Sound, the OSTC also acquired the service of the Georgian Bay and Manitoulin Transportation Company and its steamer the Henry Pedwell, which they renamed SS Kagawong. The Kagawong was returned to the Tobermory - South Baymouth auto ferry route during the 1931 July to September season. During early and late seasons she operated on the Sault Ste. Marie route from Tuesday evening to Saturday morning, with weekend trips to Providence Bay.
From 1932 the summer-only ferry service between Tobermory and South Baymouth was assigned to the MS Normac, which sailed the route sturdily and steadfastly for the next 30 seasons. The owners of the SS Kagawong, Vittie and Harmer, defaulted on the mortgage held on the ship by its previous owner, and it was relinquished back to John Tackaberry. Dominion Transportation Company operated its MS Hibou between Owen Sound and Providence Bay until 1933, when it was assigned to other duties. John Tackaberry operated his SS Islet Prince over the same route, although this ship was better known as a Pelee Island
Pelee, Ontario
Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada , is an island in the western half of Lake Erie. Pelee Island is connected to the Canadian and United States mainland by ferry service. At 42 km2, Pelee Island is the largest island in Lake Erie and the southernmost populated point in Canada...
ferry.
In 1936 the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited and its competitor, the Owen Sound-based Dominion Transportation Company Limited, managed by R. V. Malloy, decided to merge their operations. Together the two companies, under the joint management of Mckay and Malloy, operated a pool passenger-freight service to Georgian Bay and North Channel ports and continuing through the Soo Locks
Soo Locks
The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario...
and into Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
to Michipicoten, as well as the auto ferry service between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
The MS Hibou did not run much during the early spring of 1936; in June she was placed on the Tobermory ferry service. The previous year the Hibou had operated as a ferry and excursion boat out of Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
where most of its staterooms on the promenade deck had been removed to make room for sightseers and dancing. With the loss of her cabins, the Hibou was best suited for day use such as the ferry route it shared with the MS Normac.
On November 16, 1936, the Hibou made her last run on the ferry crossing and returned to Owen Sound, from where it was to take a few more trips to Killarney and Manitoulin Island. It was dangerously late in the navigation season and the only ships of the pool service still in operation were the Hibou and Normac, SS Manitou, SS Caribou and SS Manitoulin having already gone into winter quarters at Owen Sound. Captain Norman McKay took command of the Hibou while her regular captain, James Agnew, moved back to the position of First Officer.
On its second trip to Killarney on Saturday, November 21, the Hibou's cargo shifted in relatively calm waters, causing her to fill and sink only 10 minutes out of Owen Sound. It is thought that while testing the accuracy of a new compass, Captain Mckay had made a sharp turn to the Port side, causing the cargo to shift to Starboard. The ship began listed starboard, and did not recover. In the ensuing tragedy, not only the Hibou, but seven of the 17-member crew, and Captain Mckay himself, were lost.
New Management
The pool agreement between the two navigation companies continued through the 1930s and into the 1940s. The SS Manitou served on the Tobermory ferry route from 1937 until 1941 when it was retired, being replaced by Dominion Transportation Company’s SS Caribou. The SS Manitoulin carried on its regular scheduled route from Owen Sound along the "Turkey Trail" of the North Channel; but instead of terminating at Mackinac Island, she continued through the Soo Locks and proceeded to Gargatua HarbourGargantua River
The Gargantua River is a river in the Algoma District of Ontario, Canada which empties into Warp Bay on Lake Superior south of Wawa, Ontario. It flows through Lake Superior Provincial Park....
, and Michipicoten.
The 1936 pool arrangement between the two companies had been suggested by Ivor Wagner, a director of Booth Fisheries Corporation in Chicago. Wagner purchased the Dominion Transportation Company Limited in 1937 and moved to Owen Sound the following year. In 1944 the outstanding shares of the Owen shirt Transportation Company Limited were acquired by Dominion Transportation Company.
Ivor Wagner had managed both firms since 1937, although absent from the area while he served overseas in the Canadian Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He returned to Owen Sound in January 1945 to resume his responsibility as president and general manager of both companies. Other directors included W W Barnard of Owen Sound, employed by OSTC since 1927, who served as vice president and manager of operations; W A Alexander, secretary-treasurer, who had been with Dominion Transportation Company since 1924; and William Owens, chief engineer, who had a lengthy connection with both firms, beginning with his association with the SS Manitou when the ship was constructed in 1903. Mr. Owens had been chief engineer of OSTC since 1926. The two concerns remained separate entities until the last DTC vessel, the SS Caribou, was sold at the end of the 1946 season.
In September 1946 a new ship, the SS Norisle
SS Norisle
The SS Norisle was a Canadian steam-powered automobile ferry that sailed the route between Tobermory and South-Baymouth Manitoulin Island alongside her sister ships, the MS Norgoma and the MS Normac, owned by the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited.The name "Norisle" is derived from "Nor", a...
-- "North (Manitoulin) Island", was put in service on the ferry route. Designed and built by the Collingwood Shipyards Limited for OSTC, the Norisle had a capacity of up to 50 automobiles and 250 passengers. Having more than twice the capacity of the SS Caribou and MS Normac combined, it was expected this new ship could handle the Tobermory - South Baymouth auto ferry route alone; however, because of an unanticipated increase in the volume of car traffic after the war, the Normac continued in service with the Norisle. Like her predecessors the Norisle was also equipped with staterooms for the accommodation of up to 100 passengers, enabling her to be used also on the Owen Sound - Sault Ste. Marie route during early and late navigation seasons.
The SS Manitoulin continued to navigate the Turkey Trail of the North Channel from Owen Sound until its honorable and well-deserved retirement in 1949. "Turkey Trail" was by then the affectionate term for the North Channel route, some say because a large number of turkeys were transported from Manitoulin’s island ports along the north shore during the years immediately following World War II, and others because the ships serving the isolated ports of the North Channel wandered across the Channel like turkeys. In 1950, the 60-year-old SS Manitoulin was replaced with the SS Norgoma -- "North (District of) Algoma", again designed and built by the Collingwood Shipyards Limited. Unlike the Norisle, the SS Norgoma was designed primarily as a package freighter and passenger steamship, specifically for the Georgian Bay and North Channel route-- but, reflecting the practicality of its Grey County ownership, like its predecessors the Norgoma could also transport cars (if only a limited number of them).
The Norgoma's five-day (Owen Sound to Sault Ste Marie) and weekend (Owen Sound to Gore Bay) cruises remained very popular throughout the 1950s. But OSTC depended on its package freight trade to balance its books. By the early 1960's, that trade had largely dried up; the formerly isolated ports along the Turkey Trail were now served by roads and trucks. For some years, largely in order that their historic service could continue to the delight of tourists and Manitoulin Island communities and their leaders, OSTC was heavily subsidised by the Federal and Provincial governments.
The volume of car and passenger traffic on the Tobermory-South Baymouth run, however, continued to expand year by year. In 1962, Collingwood Shipyards converted the SS Norgoma to the diesel-powered MS Norgoma, and in 1963 she began renewed life as a car and passenger ferry, sister-in-trade to the SS Norisle-- and occasionally, at the beginning, to the old MS Normac.
Traffic continued to mount on the ferry run. The Ontario Northland corporation acquired the Owen Sound Transportation Company in 1974; SS Norisle and MS Norgoma joined MS Normac in retirement; and MS Chi-Cheemaun ("Big Canoe") -- big, beautiful and state-of-the-art, designed by West Coast architects but built by the ever-reliable local Collingwood Shipyards as one of their last "hulls"-- began to add her story to that of her distinguished and well-loved predecessors.
Ships of Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited
| SS Michipicoten | OSTC service | 1921-1927 | burnt 1927 |
| SS Manitoulin SS Manitoulin The SS Manitoulin was a steamship that provided service on the North American Great Lakes.In 1950 she was replaced by the SS Norgoma.The vessel was run by the Owen Sound Transportation Company.... |
OSTC service | 1926-1949 | retired 1949 |
| SS Manasoo | OSTC service | 1928 | sank 1928 |
| SS Kagawong | OSTC service | 1930-1931 | see SS Eastnor |
| MS Normac | OSTC service | 1931-1968 | acquired from Detroit 1930 |
| SS Caribou | pool service | 1936-1946 | owned by Dominion Transportation Co. |
| SS Manitou | pool service | 1936-1942 | owned by Dominion Transportation Co. |
| MS Hibou | pool service | 1936 | owned by Dominion Transportation Co. |
| SS Norisle SS Norisle The SS Norisle was a Canadian steam-powered automobile ferry that sailed the route between Tobermory and South-Baymouth Manitoulin Island alongside her sister ships, the MS Norgoma and the MS Normac, owned by the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited.The name "Norisle" is derived from "Nor", a... |
OSTC service | 1946-1974 | retired 1974 |
| SS Norgoma Norgoma MS Norgoma was a Canadian package freighter and passenger ferry, that could also transport automobiles on a limited basis. Originally constructed as a steam-powered ship in 1950, the SS Norgoma primarily sailed the route from her home port of Owen Sound to Sault Ste. Marie, providing a five-day... |
OSTC service | 1950-1974 | dieselized 1964, retired 1974 |
| MS Chi-Cheemaun | OSTC service | 1974-Present | still operating |
| MS Nindawayama Nindawayma The MV Manx Viking / Nindawayma was a passenger, truck and car ferry, whose last active service was on Lake Huron, operated by the Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited; under contract to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation... |
OSTC service | 1989-1992 | sold |
| MV Jiimaan | OSTC service (Pelee Island Transportation Company subsidiary) | 1992-present | Still in use |
| MV Pelee Islander | OSTC service (Pelee Island Transportation Company) | 1960-present | Still in use |
| MV Upper Canada | OSTC service (Pelee Island Transportation Company) | 1977-present | still in use (sold to Christian Island natives for personal transport to and from island |