Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited
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The Owen Sound Transportation Company, Limited was the forerunner of the enterprise that currently operates the vehicle and passenger ferry - M.S. ''Chi-Cheemaun'' - between Tobermory on the
Bruce Peninsula The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada, that divides Georgian Bay of Lake Huron from the lake's main basin. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southwestern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, ...
, and South Baymouth on
Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...
. For updated information, see the article on the M.S. ''Chi-Cheemaun''. The Owen Sound Transportation Company was established by businessmen in the
Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attractio ...
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 A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
, S.S. ''Michipicoten'', in freight-only service from Owen Sound to isolated communities along the north shore of
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
and
Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...
. 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 objects are those made by wetting wood (either by soaking or by steaming), then bending it and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns. In furniture making this method is often used in the production of rocking chairs, cafe ...
furniture, 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 Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...
. 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 (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...
area. But it was not until the spring of 1926 that Captain Norman McKay arranged a public meeting through the Owen Sound Board of Trade to raise funds for 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, under the Ontario Companies Act, increasing its authorized
capital stock A corporation's share capital, commonly referred to as capital stock in the United States, is the portion of a corporation's equity that has been derived by the issue of shares in the corporation to a shareholder, usually for cash. "Share capi ...
from $40,000 to $150,000. In 1926 the OSTC purchased the steel-hulled, screw steamer S.S. ''Modjeska'', a former
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
excursion boat, intended as a day cruiser. The ship had been laid up since 1924, following a serious collision in
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. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational b ...
. 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 S.S. ''Manitoulin'', she began her first full season June 6, 1927, with Norman McKay serving as captain. Norman McKay of Owen Sound, was not working on the Great Lakes at the time the company was first incorporated in 1921, in 1918 he had accepted an appointment as captain of the SS Canora, which he delivered from Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec to British Columbia and operated it between Vancouver and Vancouver Island for its first few years before returning to Owen Sound.


Cruising the North Channel

The weekly schedule of the S.S. ''Manitoulin'' began with an 11:15 p.m. Monday departure from Owen Sound, arriving Tuesday morning at
Killarney Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
, then through the
North Channel North Channel may refer to: *North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland) The North Channel (known in Irish and Scottish Gaelic as , in Scots as the ) is the strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland. It begins no ...
, calling at
Manitowaning Assiginack () is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on Manitoulin Island. An Ontario Historical Plaque was built on the grounds of the Assiginack Museum by the province to commemorate the Manitoulin Treaties' role in Ontario' ...
, Little Current, Gore Bay, Meldrum Bay, Cockburn Island, Hilton Beach, Richards Landing, and
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants ...
, 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 ''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 S.S. ''Michipicoten'' continued on an unscheduled freight-only service between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie, calling at Manitoulin Island and North Shore ports. The ''Michipicoten'' was destroyed by fire at the Cooks Dock, near
Silverwater Silverwater is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Silverwater is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district on the southern bank of the Parramatta River within the local governme ...
on Manitoulin Island, on October 11, 1927. To replace the ''Michipicoten'', the OSTC purchased the S.S. ''Macassa'', then under the ownership of the
Canada Steamship Lines Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) is a shipping company with headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The business has been operating for well over a century and a half. Beginnings CSL had humble beginnings in Canada East in 1845, operating river b ...
subsidiary Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company. The ''Macassa'' had completed her season on September 30, 1927, operating as a day excursion steamer between
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
. The ''Macassa'' was originally part of the Toronto and Hamilton Steamboat Company, along with her sister ship, the S.S. ''Modjeska''. Over the following winter in Toronto, she was converted for the accommodation of overnight passengers. Renamed S.S. ''Manasoo'', she departed from Toronto for Owen Sound on April 16, 1928. The 1928 OSTC schedule for the S.S. ''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 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...
's S.S. ''Manitoba''. A classic car was discovered inside the submerged shipwreck in November 2018.


Ferry Service to Manitoulin Island

From the commencement of their operations, the S.S. ''Manitoulin'' (in 1927) and the S.S. ''Manasoo'' (in 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 S.S. ''Winona'', provided service from Cutler to Gore Bay. Another automobile ferry serving Manitoulin Island was John Tackaberry's M.S. ''Alice'', which sailed on a return route from Owen Sound, via
Wiarton Wiarton () is a community in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. Wiarton is notable for the Wiarton Willie Festiva ...
, Lion's Head, Tobermory to South Baymouth, and
Providence Bay Providence Bay (russian: Бу́хта Провиде́ния, ''Bukhta Provideniya'') is a fjord in the southern coast of the Chukchi Peninsula of northeastern Siberia. It was a popular rendezvous, wintering spot, and provisioning spot for whaler ...
. Throughout the 1927 season, Tackaberry operated the M.S. ''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 M.S. ''Hibou'' to bring her in line with the other ships of the Dominion fleet ( S.S. ''Caribou'' and S.S. ''Manitou'' -- "Hibou" being the French word for "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, Ontario Southampton is a community on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, and close to Port Elgin. It is located at the mouth of the Saugeen River in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory. The size of the town is 6.44 square kilom ...
, obtained a charter for the Georgian Bay and Manitoulin Transportation Company. They had purchased John Tackaberry's S.S. ''Henry Pedwell''. The steamer was taken to Midland 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 A fireboat or fire-float is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipmen ...
named the S.S. ''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 A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
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 M.S. ''Normac'', after the OSTC's general manager Norman Mckay, captain of the S.S. ''Manitoulin''. The M.S. ''Normac'' began her scheduled route on July 16, 1931, taking the place formerly assigned to the S.S. ''Manasoo'', leaving Owen Sound at 11:15 p.m. Thursdays and returning at 4:30 am on the following Tuesday. Meanwhile, with the S.S. ''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 S.S. ''Henry Pedwell'', which they renamed S.S. ''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 M.S. ''Normac'', which sailed the route sturdily and steadfastly for the next 30 seasons. The owners of the S.S. ''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 M.S. ''Hibou'' between Owen Sound and Providence Bay until 1933, when it was assigned to other duties. John Tackaberry operated his S.S. ''Islet Prince'' over the same route, although this ship was better known as a
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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 The Soo Locks (sometimes spelled Sault Locks but pronounced "soo") are a set of parallel locks, operated and maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, that enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the low ...
and into
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to Michipicoten, as well as the auto ferry service between Tobermory and South Baymouth. The M.S. ''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 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 M.S. ''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'', S.S. ''Manitou'', S.S. ''Caribou'' and S.S. ''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 cargo onboard ''Hibou'' shifted while she was operating in relatively calm waters, causing her to founder 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 A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
, causing the cargo to shift to
starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...
. The ship listed to 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 S.S. ''Manitou'' served on the Tobermory ferry route from 1937 until 1941 when it was retired, being replaced by Dominion Transportation Company's S.S. ''Caribou''. The S.S. ''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 Harbour, 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 Sound 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 The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. 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. Mr. W.W. Barnard became president of the company at the beginning of 1969; 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 S.S. ''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 S.S. ''Caribou'', was sold at the end of the 1946 season. In September 1946 a new ship, the S.S. ''Norisle''—the name being derived from "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 S.S. ''Caribou'' and M.S. ''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 S.S. ''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 S.S. ''Manitoulin'' was replaced by the S.S. ''Norgoma''—the name being derived from "North (District of) Algoma"—again designed and built by the Collingwood Shipyards Limited. Unlike the ''Norisle'', the S.S. ''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'' operated on five-day (Owen Sound to Sault Ste Marie) and weekend (Owen Sound to Gore Bay) cruises, which remained very popular throughout the 1950s. However, the OSTC depended on its package freight trade to balance its books. By the early 1960s, 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 S.S. ''Norgoma'' to diesel-power, thus she became M.S. ''Norgoma'', and in 1963 she began renewed life as a car and passenger ferry, sister-in-trade to the S.S. ''Norisle''—and occasionally, at the beginning, to the old M.S. ''Normac''. Traffic continued to mount on the ferry run. The
Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor ...
, through its
Crown corporation A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...
, the
Ontario Northland Transportation Commission The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for providing transportation services for passengers and goods in northern Ontario. It reports to ...
, acquired the Owen Sound Transportation Company in 1974. This development resulted in the S.S. ''Norisle'' and M.S. ''Norgoma'' joining M.S. ''Normac'' in retirement; and a new vessel being commissioned. The M.S. ''Chi-Cheemaun''—translating to "Big Canoe" in
Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
—was the largest vessel to ever operate on the route. At the time of her commissioning, she was one of Canada's newest state-of-the-art ferries, having been designed by
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naval architects and built on Georgian Bay by the ever-reliable local Collingwood Shipyards as one of their last "hulls". Her service continues the story of that of her distinguished and well-loved predecessor ships. OSTC was spun off from ONTC in 2002.


Ships of Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited


References

{{Reflist


External links


Owen Sound Transportation Company
Ferry companies of Ontario Companies based in Ontario Transport in Manitoulin District Defunct shipping companies of Canada