MANITOWANING—Assiginack council is hoping a meeting next month with the Ministry of Transportation, during the council’s annual delegation to the Ontario Good Roads Association/Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (OGRA/ROMA) conference, will help them to devolve themselves of responsibility for the aging S.S. Norisle.
At its January 19 meeting, council passed a lengthy resolution, which states:
“Whereas the Corporation of the Township of Assiginack acquired the S.S. Norisle from the Province of Ontario through an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation in 1975; and whereas the vessel has outlived its useful life as a community/tourist attraction; and whereas a dedicated community group feels the vessel has a future life as a Great Lakes Cruise Ship, but the costs to retrofit the vessel are far beyond this municipality’s ability to provide; and whereas issues concerning ownership, management, and operation of the vessel as a Great Lakes Cruise Ship would have to be determined before the vessel could sail and these issues are far beyond this municipality’s ability to determine; and whereas if this future use of the vessel is not financially viable, the vessel would still have to be disposed of and the cost to do so is far beyond this municipality’s capability to undertake; and whereas this municipality cannot dispose of the vessel without the permission of the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Transportation, pursuant to the 1975 agreement; now therefore be it resolved that we petition the Province of Ontario, through the Ministry of Transportation to re-assume ownership and responsibility of and for the vessel with the following mandate: a) To investigate, along with the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society, the viability of the vessel as a Great Lakes cruise ship; b) If viable for this purpose, to co-ordinate the ownership, management and operations requirements of the vessel for this purpose; and, c) If not viable, to undertake the steps necessary to remove the vessel from the Manitowaning waterfront.”
“We are going to approach the province, the Ministry of Transportation, and put our position out there that we can’t afford to keep it (the Norisle) any longer and put it in their ballpark, so to speak,” Mayor Paul Moffat told The Expositor following the meeting. “Hopefully the Society can come up with a viable solution, and we will fully support it.”
As reported previously, the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society (formerly Friends of the Norisle) has hired Compenso Communications based out of Owen Sound to help them with their goal of seeing the 70 year-old steamer refitted and plying Great Lakes waters once again. It is currently docked in Manitowaning Bay, where it has been berthed for over 40 years, in the care of Assiginack Township, since the former Owen Sound Transportation Company ferry was decommissioned for use and replaced by the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun.
“The boat is 70 years-old,” Mayor Moffat said. “It’s too bad, but it’s one of those schemes that looked good 40 years ago,” the mayor said in reference to the Norisle sailing again.
Council decided to request a meeting with the Ministry of Transportation at next month’s OGRA/ROMA meeting to “discuss all our options,” including those of the Society’s. “But we’re not too optimistic.”
Late last year, the Society approached council, asking the municipality to apply for a grant from the Ministry of Tourism on its behalf for the commission of a study. This would have required one-third funding from Assiginack to the tune of $90,000, which was offered up by a member of the Society in exchange for a tax receipt—a suggestion that made council nervous.
Mayor Moffat said that the grant application was still not on “at the moment” and suggested the Society apply for charitable status, as it had talked of doing a number of years ago when it was called Friends of the Norisle, therefore allowing them to apply for such grants without municipal help.
“We’re looking at the big picture: the boat is deteriorating before our eyes and it will one day become completely unusable,” Mayor Moffat said matter-of-factly. “We want to put the boat back in the MTO’s court.”
“I’d be ecstatic if the Society could convince somebody to make it into a viable vessel, but at the moment I’m not very optimistic about it,” the mayor added. “You have to look out for everyone in the community and we don’t have the funds or the expertise to do it on our own.”
Mayor Moffat said that while he realizes the number of people who have put so much time and effort into “making these things happen, there’s just not a viable number of people to make it pay.”
“I don’t know why council is trying to complicate the proposal we set forth,” Society chairperson Dave Ham told The Expositor, speaking on the funding application. “It’s not costing the municipality anything.”
Mr. Ham noted the Society and its dream of refitting the Norisle has indeed caught the attention of provincial ministry officials, judging from rumblings he’s heard. “Apparently it’s perked their ears right up—but evidently it hasn’t perked up our councils’ ears. I can’t understand why council is digging in their heels.”
Mr. Ham admitted that the Friends of the Norisle had looked into getting charitable status some time ago, but were advised against it as they “didn’t have the wherewithal at the time,” adding that now would be the time to do exactly that, especially if council applied for the funding as a first step to encourage the Society into moving forward with an application. Mr. Ham said he is pleased with the way things have gone so far but questions how the MTO visit will pan out for council. “It would be great if they (the MTO) did (take on the Norisle),” he said.
This reporter noted the 2017 date when the Norisle reverts back to the province, according to the 1975 agreement. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one either,” Mr. Ham responded.
The chair said it was too bad that the process was dragging on as it had been the Society’s hope to have the boat out of Manitowaning Bay by this summer.
