Plans are still afloat to get the S.S.Norisle back in ship shape, following a fall cleaning session that gutted the 66-year-old vessel in preparation for her refit.
Berthed at her home port of Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island, the Norisle underwent a full stripping last fall.
A crew was sent in to remove the guts of the ship, including pipes, electrical work and fire extinguishing equipment, as well as any leftover woodwork.
The steamship is now set for phase two of the refit, which will send her into dry dock at Purvis Marine Ltd. in Sault Ste. Marie.
Funding applications are currently being prepared to lobby for capital to carry out that phase of the plan.
There has been renewed interest in the steamship following the recent return of the S.S. Keewatin to Port McNicoll in June.
After being docked in Michigan for more than 40 years, the 107-year-old Scottish-built ship was purchased by Skyline International Developments Inc. as part of a scheme to create a $1.7-billion luxury waterfront development that includes a residential component, a hotel and a marina.
But plans for the Norisle are perhaps even loftier.
A 2010 feasibility study commissioned by the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society, a non-profit group of volunteers spearheading the project, calls for a return of the Norisle to sailing status as a heritage passenger steamship that would accommodate travellers cruising the Great Lakes.
At the time of the study, the ship’s overall capital budget, which includes startup funding and the initial operating costs, was estimated at $17.3 million.
Estimated impacts include a boost to tourism in Ontario, enhanced educational and seasonal employment opportunities for students, the showcasing of the culture and heritage of Great Lakes marine transportation, and the fostering of pride and self-awareness at Norisle’s various ports of call.
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