S.S. Keewatin leaves Port McNicoll ahead of schedule

The S.S. Keewatin is departing the Port McNicoll dock months ahead of schedule.

The iconic steamliner was towed away Monday afternoon to be prepared to start its next chapter in maritime history.

The last Edwardian-era vessel will soon be added to the transportation collection of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, which documents the history of the Great Lakes over the past two centuries.

The S.S. Keewatin at its dock in Port McNicoll, Ont., on Tues., April 11, 2023. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)

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Former president and CEO of the Friends of Keewatin Eric Conroy said while he's sad to see the Keewatin leave, he's happy it'll be in good hands.

"It's closure of a great 27 years. My life has been wrapped around this ship. It will be around for my great-great-grandchild to go and say, 'Oh, that's where great-great-grandfather worked. So, I've been able to take care of the history for a short period of time and so passing it on to some people that will do a great job for us," said Conroy.

Officials with the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston said they have been looking forward to this day for quite some time.

"It's a very exciting moment for us. We've been at this for a couple years to make this happen, and we couldn't be happier that the community support from the Friends of the Keewatin have really done a fabulous job preparing the ship for us, packing it all up," said Doug Cowie with the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes.

Inside the S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll, Ont., on Tues., April 11, 2023. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)

Conroy said more than two dozen volunteers have been working for the past seven weeks to prepare the ship for its final voyage.

"All the doors have had to be sealed shut. We have big glass doors that go in along the side. They're all missing, as you can see. We had to make sure that there was no water in any of the halls downstairs, we had to make sure everything was tied down, we had to pack up all the ship models and furniture," said Conroy.

The Keewatin will be towed to Hamilton for the summer, where it will undergo major repairs.

"The way it's going to go now is, it's going to come up Cove Island in Tobermory, then in Sarnia and enter the St.Clair River, then the Detroit River Light and enter Lake Erie, and then Lake Erie to Port Colborne and then to Port Weller and Lake Ontario to Hamilton at the Heddleship Yard," said Cowie.

Those interested can track the S.S. Keewatin's voyage online as the Molly M 1 tug boat takes the steamliner first to Hamilton.

The Kingston museum plans to transform the steamliner into an artifact that showcases its historical significance and open it to the public by the summer of 2024.