The ship that ran the route between Manitoulin Island and Tobermory until it was replaced by the Chi-Cheemaun is going to be scrapped.
Sault Ste. Marie city council has voted to dispose of the aging M.S. Norgoma, which was formerly docked downtown, but was moved in 2019 to a slip near Algoma Steel.
Built in 1950, the M.S. Norgoma initially operated weekly voyages between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie. After undergoing upgrades in the early 1960s, it joined the S.S. Norisle on the Manitoulin-Tobermory ferry route until it was replaced by the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun in 1974.
After being acquired by the city in 1975, the Norgoma served as a museum ship. However, faced with financial challenges, the city attempted to sell the vessel since 2019.
A 2021 proposal by a Tobermory group would have relocated the Norgoma permanently in Owen Sound, but this plan was rejected by Transport Canada.
