Saddened that the Norisle’s number has finally come up
To the Expositor:
I was extremely saddened to read the headline ’Assiginack Township to scuttle S. S. Norisle dream,’ (September 6, Page 1) but I do realize that she has been left to languish in Manitowaning harbour for 50 years, so it was only inevitable that she degrade to a point of no return and be scrapped someday. That day has come.
Our family has fond memories of both her and the Norgoma. My mom and my great grandmother went for the week long cruise in 1954 that departed Owen Sound, went up the Turkey Trail, the North Channel and to the Sault and back to Owen Sound. A relaxing week spent on the sun-deck or at the stern watching the scenery go by. We began visiting the Island as a family in 1968, my mom had a girlfriend on Barrie Island who we visited and spent a glorious week at the Barrie Island Cottages on Trout Bay. This turned into an annual summer time occurrence, but we also would just go for the day.
Embarking as walk-on passengers, usually around Easter as the boats started earlier in the season in those days. My Dad became good friends with the engineer, Bill Craigie, on the Norisle, spending much of the trip down in the engine room watching the workings of her triple expansion steam engine. Bill liked to share the history of his boat. Norisle’s keel was laid down in Collingwood towards the end of the second world war destined to be one of the battle of Atlantic’s corvettes, but the war ended so Northern Navigation bought her for their Georgian Bay Manitoulin run.
souvenirs bought at the tuck shop from Ernie at South Baymouth.
The Normac was getting a bit aged and was sent to Meldrum Bay to do the Cockburn Island, Blind River run. My dad’s aunt lived in Copper Cliff, and it wouldn’t be unusual to zip up to Tobermory, take the boat, and stay at Strains Cottages in Sheguiandah overnight and proceed to Sudbury for the visit, then back and stay at the Cedar Vista before returning home. On one occasion, Bill gave us some fresh whitefish which we cooked up in the housekeeping unit at the Cedar Vista, it was absolutely yummy!
We had a 1964 Ford Custom 500 with a 3-speed standard transmission that dad had taken the shifter off the “tree” and placed on the floor. The Norgoma had a crew of young guys that would drive the cars on the boat while the Norisle allowed cars to be driven on by their owners. There was always lots of swearing going on in either South Baymouth or Tobermory when the car was delivered back to us from the Norgoma’s hold…the boys always seemed to get her locked in between gears!
I miss the days when the two would meet halfway in the crossing and blow their whistles in greeting, or we’d have dinner in the dining room. Tables laid with pristine white table cloths and shining silverware and sharply dressed stewards. We had delicious roast pork for dinner the one time, and we did stay overnight on the Norisle once, the four of us in one of those tiny staterooms, so excited I couldn’t sleep, and the noise of the shoveling of the coal to keep the boiler up over-night. I remember her coming into port late one night, all lit up and silent, drifting in like a ghost ship, unlike Norgoma who had the thrum of her diesel to accompany her arrival.
Those days will never leave my thoughts, and even though the Chi-Cheemaun has been on the run for almost 50 years, those more recent memories of it can’t hold a candle to “the good old days” when we traversed the Georgian Bay waters by steamship in all sorts of weather. Nothing like coming over the hill to the harbour and seeing one of the girls tied up at the dock. They could have been a cruise liner like the Andrea Doria or something similar to a nine-year-old.
Goodbye, Norisle, we will miss you!
Diane Zinger
Miller Lake, ON
