SS ''Norisle'' is a Canadian steam-powered automobile

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

that sailed the route between Tobermory and South-Baymouth

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 ...

alongside her sister ships, the and the , owned by the

Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited 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, and South Baymouth on Manitoulin ...

. The name ''Norisle'' is derived from "Nor", a contraction of the Northern Region 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 "Isle", referring to

. The SS Norisle is no longer operating as a museum. This is mainly due to the vessel's age which had raised safety concerns. According to locals in the area the museum was shut down in 2008.

Ferry operations

The ship is 215ft in length. The ''Norisle'' was built at the Collingwood shipyards in 1946—the first steamship built in Canada after the end of

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 ...

. Her engines were actually designed and built for a

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...

corvette, however because of the end of the war, they were put into the ''Norisle'' instead. They are now the only remaining engines of their type in existence today. The ship had two doors on the starboard with a ramp that allowed vehicles to drive on and off the vessel during her service as a ferry. She sailed until the year 1974, when she and her sistership, the ''Norgoma'', were replaced by the much larger and more modern which could accommodate a much larger number of automobiles, and passengers (but no livestock).

Retirement

The ''Norisle'' is now permanently berthed at the Assiginack Museum Complex on

as a museum ship for tourists to explore. For the last few years it has also served as a training ground for Canadian Naval Cadets. In recent years, the ''Norisle'' has fallen into a state of disrepair. The ship was slowly sinking due to rainwater entering through her engine room vents and the main smokestack. This has since been stopped by placing tarps over them. City leaders planned on having it towed to deep water and sunk as a dive site, however these plans have been halted because a support group for the ''Norisle'' has been recently formed (March 2007), "Friends of the Norisle." The group plans to investigate refurbishing or utilizing the ship for beneficial reasons.

References

External links

History of Ferries on the Great Lakes

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norisle, SS Ships built in Collingwood, Ontario Norisle-class ferries Transport in Manitoulin District 1946 ships