Big canoe gets an upgrade: Lake Huron ferry undergoes three years of renovations.

AuthorKelly, Lindsay
PositionNEWS

When a 2013 market feasibility study prepared for the MS Chi-Cheemaun showed a steady decline in the ferry's ridership, the ship's operator, the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC), sat up and took notice.

The report predicted dire consequences for the ferry if it didn't make some changes to reverse the declining trend.

"We took the recommendations from the report to heart, because they went out there and they found out: what do people want this ship to be," said Susan Schrempf, OSTC president- CEO. "And (riders) didn't want it to be just a way to get back and forth; they wanted the experience."

In operation from April to October, the ferry has transitioned over the last four decades from its original purpose, shuttling vehicles between South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island and Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula, to a key component of the tourism industry in both communities, which flourishes during the summer months.

Upgrades began last year with new washrooms and continued this year with a reconfiguration and cosmetic changes to the ship's dining area. In March, it was completely gutted and almost everything was replaced, Schrempf said.

The fluorescent lights were changed out for LED pot lights, and seven "lighting zones" added for a more intimate ambiance.

"It reduced our energy draw and, especially during the evening dinner cruises, the fluorescent lights were just too bright," Schrempf said.

The ship's new colour scheme and theme--borrowed heavily from Indigenous artwork--is integrated throughout the dining area, whose footprint has been entirely reconfigured.

A "scatter" format allows customers to enter for hot food, grab-and-go meals, or alcoholic beverages.

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New tables for two line the windows, while nearby tables for four can be expanded to accommodate additional guests during special events.

Central to the area is a round settee divided into four sections, each with a table and glass partitions to delineate between the casual and fine dining areas, Schrempf said.

The port-side bar, used on ship's dining cruises, is getting an upgrade, too, with a new focus on serving local craft beers.

The cost for the renovations totalled about $2.4 million, but that includes the replacement of ticket booths at both ports and an upgrade to the Manitoulin passenger ramp.

"Because it overhangs the water, if you ever need to paint this thing, it's quite a big project because you have to protect the water," Schrempf said.

This...

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