Kingston's SS Keewatin named museum ship of the year
Keewatin arrived in Kingston in 2023 after being a museum ship in Port McNicoll for about a decade.
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KINGSTON — The SS Keewatin was named the museum ship of the year by an international heritage organization.
The Steamship Historical Society of America recognized the Keewatin’s “distinguished accomplishments and significant contributions to preserving the historical importance of engine-powered vessels.”
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The Titanic-era Keewatin is the oldest surviving Edwardian-era passenger steamship.
“We are so honoured to receive this award,” Great Lakes Museum executive director Bep Schippers said. “This recognition from the Steamship Historical Society of America is a testament to the incredible efforts of our volunteer and staff team and the support of our community. The SS Keewatin represents an extraordinary piece of maritime history, and we are committed to preserving and sharing her legacy for generations to come.”
Kelly Pope-Wiley, chair of the Great Lakes Museum board, said the award recognized the work of the volunteers at the museum and in Port McNicoll, where the Keewatin was docked as a museum ship for more than a decade before being moved to Kingston.
“She was cared for for years by a group of dedicated volunteers, and that legacy continues at the Great Lakes Museum,” Pope-Wiley added. “The hours of work are countless and may never end, but the reward is the joy we see in thousands of people’s faces who visit her. We get the privilege of sharing her remarkable history every day with our visitors.”
The Keewatin was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1907, and once moved to Canada it operated between Port McNicoll and Thunder Bay until the mid 1960s.
It was retired from service in 1965 and was sold to an American, who kept the ship docked in Kalamazoo, Mich., for more than 45 years.
In 2011, it was bought by a developer and returned to Port McNicoll.
In March 2023, the Keewatin was acquired by the Great Lakes Museum, a move that likely saved the ship from the scrapyard.
The next month it was prepared for its final voyage and was towed to Hamilton for renovations before being moved to Kingston in October.
The Keewatin reopened to the public in Kingston in May 2024.
The museum ship of the year award is one of five awards recognizing different types of ships, also including tug boats, yachts and cruise ships.
Previous winners of the museum ship of the year award include the SS City of Milwaukee, the battleship USS Iowa and the Victory Ship SS Lane Victory.
The award is to be presented to the Great Lakes Museum at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
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