PORT MCNICOLL, ONT. -- Volunteers have donated thousands of hours of their time to restore the Keewatin, an Edwardian-era steamship tied up in Port McNicoll.

On Wednesday morning, a large fence was erected around the ship and volunteers were asked to turn in their keys.

"Totally unexpected," said Wayne Coombes, Friends of the Keewatin. "Up until this week, we had full access to the ship, fully expected to have access to the ship. We think we have, and believe we have, an ongoing relationship with the owner of the ship, which includes the charity having access to the ship."

SS Keewatin closed

The S.S. Keewatin is the last of its kind anywhere in the world. It was brought to Port McNicoll in 2012 by Skyline Investments as part of their redevelopment and rebranding of the Georgian Bay community.

Since then, the ship has been largely restored and has become a popular tourist attraction. The ship's future became uncertain when Skyline decided to sell its property in Port McNicoll.

Friends of the Keewatin feel the ship should stay here, but current events put that in question.

"It's really hard for people who are here to understand what's going on or why it's going on. This is such a beautiful location. It should be pretty straight forward," Coombes said.

Officials from Skyline said the ship was already closed to visitors because of COVID, and the fence is the result of the decision to close and secure it completely.

Keewatin

The only ongoing work is some painting on the exterior, which is almost complete.

Skyline said there has been some interest from other municipalities to acquire the Keewatin, but there is no new information about plans to move it to another location at this time.

Friends Of The Keewatin call Skyline's claims disingenuous, and hope the ship can remain and be donated to the county museum.

"We care about the ship staying right here where its history is," said Coombes.

Skyline Investments is now monitoring the ship. There is no timeline on how long the closure might last.