SOUTH BAYMOUTH—After serving the Tobermory to Manitoulin marine ferry transportation link from 1946 to 1974, several historical artifacts from the S.S. Norisle have been returned to her Manitoulin home port of South Baymouth, as well as Kagawong.
“I am on top of the world today,” stated Loretta Mucha, curator of the Little Schoolhouse Museum in Tehkummah on receiving several historical artifacts from the Norisle late last week. “We received some very precious artifacts yesterday.”
In a co-operative effort of Tehkummah’s Little Schoolhouse Museum and the South Baymouth Community Development Association (SBCDA), artifacts for preserving part of the marine history of Manitoulin were ironically delivered to South Baymouth via the M/V. Chi-Cheemaun, the ferry which replaced the Norisle 50 years ago this year to meet higher traffic demands.
Through the very generous donations of Marine Recycling of Port Colborne (the recycling facility which received the Norisle for scrapping), Manitoulin’s own Manitoulin Transport, several pieces of marine history were saved and returned home to South Baymouth, and Kagawong. Items include a lifeboat, portholes, anchor and anchor chain, the anchor windlass, and two propeller blades along with one of the engine rooms cool vents will be refurbished and located at the Tehkummah/South Baymouth Museum to honour the legacy of the dedicated service of the S.S. Norisle.
As well, the Old Mill Heritage Museum received the name plate of the Norisle (10 feet long and four feet wide, weighing about 500 pounds) and a porthole, said Rick Nelson, curator of the museum. “We didn’t save the ship but thanks to the partnership of the Little Schoolhouse Museum, the South Baymouth Community Development Association, and the donations of Marine Recycling of Port Colborne, Manitoulin Transport and Owen Sound Transportation, which provided complementary passage for Manitoulin Transport and the Norisle artifacts, we preserved some of the history of the Norisle.”
With some pieces weighing in excess of two tons, careful loading, securing, transporting and unloading of the artifacts were undertaken.
“Captain John Greenway, and Captain Kerry Adams did all the hard work in getting these items (making the contacts, writing letters and making phone calls),” said Ms. Mucha. “The cooperation from everyone involved has been wonderful.”
Mr. Greenway, secretary/treasurer of SBCDA explained, “when we heard that the S.S. Norisle was being sold and going to be taken to a scrapyard, we asked if we could have any of the items for the museum before it left Manitowaning. But they had to make sure the ship was still seaworthy, and for instance all the anchors were still on board and everything was still secure to take it to Port Colborne.”
“So, through a partnership with our museum we approached Marine Recycling to see if we could obtain any of the items off the ship, and how much they would cost,” said Mr. Greenway. “They asked us to give them a list of things we would like, and they said they would donate the items,” he added, noting, “the Old Mill Museum in Kagawong is getting a couple of items from the ship as well. So, then we called Manitoulin Transport about transporting the items and they said they would donate a truck and driver. And we called the Owen Sound Transportation Company as to how much it would cost to bring the items on the truck over from Tobermory and they said that the S.S. Norisle was part of their history, so they provided complementary passage. The generosity and cooperation we have received from all of them has been fantastic.”
Mr. Greenway further explained the Assiginack Museum had received a few items from the ship prior to its leaving Manitowaning, “so we have three Island museums that have some treasured items of the history of the Norisle.”
“We are honoured to have these significant marine artifacts from Manitoulin’s ferry history. We also have the wheelhouse set aside for us,” said Ms. Mucha. “But unfortunately, it is too large for truck transportation, and other means such as tug/barge delivery are out of our financial reach. So, we will have to see what happens. But wouldn’t it be awesome if museum visitors could enter the wheelhouse of the Norisle and gaze into Lake Huron like her captains and crews did from the century past and for nearly 30 years of plying the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron to Manitoulin!”
Mr. Nelson said at this time, the artifacts the Old Mill Museum has received are in storage. “The next step will be to properly present them. But for now, we’re just grateful to everyone involved for obtaining these items.”
Ms. Mucha said over time, the artifacts will be refurbished and displayed on the Little Schoolhouse Museum grounds and provided with descriptions of the item and its marine significance.
“Most of the big items we received will be mounted on the grounds at the museum,” said Ms. Mucha. “The township is going to be laying down cement pads for these items to be placed on. And we are hoping the porthole windows will go on the side of the museum facing Highway 6. Not everything will be in place until early spring and at that time we will he holding a dedication and hope that some of those who helped get everything donated will be on hand. Our museum is small and the funding we receive is very minimal. Small museums like ours can’t pay for artifacts such as these. It would have been a shame to have lost all of these artifacts from the Norisle. If Marine Recycling had not generously cooperated the way they did none of this would have happened.”
