The S.S. Norisle. (submitted image)
An historic ship that once sailed the Tobermory to Manitoulin Island ferry route is going to be scrapped.
Township of Assiginack council voted at a recent meeting to accept a proposal from Marine Recycling Corporation to dispose of the S.S. Norisle. It’s going to cost the township’s local taxpayers more than $743,000.
A letter outlining the plan says the Norisle will be towed to a recycling facility on Lake Erie in Port Colborne before the end September.
“It’s a situation that nobody likes, and the few alternatives weren’t necessarily good,” says Assiginack Chief Administrative Officer Alton Hobbs. “Council made an informed decision that was the best decision for the community.”
The 215-foot Norisle was built in Collingwood in 1946. It served as a ferry between Tobermory and Manitoulin from 1947 until 1974, when it and the M.S. Norgoma were replaced by the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun.
The Norisle has been moored in Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island since the township purchased it in 1975. It used to be a floating museum and tourist spot, but has been deteriorating and become a safety and an environmental concern. There are a number of issues that require ongoing maintenance of the vessel and pumps, according to minutes from the Aug. 29 meeting.
It’s also located within about a 100-feet of the township’s water supply intake, another risk discussed by Assiginack councillors when they voted to dispose of the ship.
A group known as the S.S. Norisle Society was trying rehabilitate the vessel and turn it into a Great Lakes tour ship. But the estimated costs — tens of millions of dollars — were too prohibitive. Bayshore Broadcasting News attempted to contact the Norisle Society, but was unable to connect prior to publication deadline.
Hobbs says about 90 per cent of the Norisle will be able to be recycled into metal that will be used in other ships.