Before you head down to the Owen Sound harbour this Thursday, June 29 to watch the "ghost ship" Manitoba light up, read Richard Thomas' story below of the ship's place in our maritime heritage.  The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre on the west harbour wall will host refreshments and festivities from 7 until the lights go on shortly after 9 p.m.

"On November 5, 1885 the CPR ship Algoma left Owen Sound for the Lakehead carrying general merchandise, railway supplies and 37 passengers, the fewest it had ever carried. The storm signals had been evident before she left Owen Sound, but the Algoma made it to the Soo with no trouble. Taking on additional cargo, she left for Lake Superior on November 6. Halfway across the lake she ran into a blinding snowstorm and, though the sails were set to stabilize her, she drifted off course. At 4 a.m., the Captain ordered the sails down and, a short while later, under steam power, she ran aground on the southeast shore of Mott Island, off Isle Royale. The storm raged and the waves pummeled the helpless ship. At 6 a.m., the Algoma broke in two; passengers, crew and cargo were swept away. Three people made it ashore and another 11 remained hidden in the bow until the morning of November 8, when the storm finally broke.

The survivors made it to shore and spent the night with a party of fishermen. The next day the Athabasca was intercepted and they were taken to the Lakehead. 46 people, many from Owen Sound, perished in the wreck. The Captain and First Mate were suspended, pending an investigation.

To replace the Algoma, CPR awarded a contract to build the Manitoba to Polson's Iron Works in Toronto. It was to be the biggest vessel built on the great lakes, but Polson's had a problem. They had no shipyard big enough to construct the vessel. The company decided to build a shipyard in Owen Sound, after the town offered them a free building site, no taxes for 10 years and a dredged launch basin. The site of Canada's first steel shipbuilding company, Owen Sound benefitted immediately with 300 jobs and skilled labour, as many master builders were brought to the community from shipbuilding yards in Scotland.

The Polson Shipbuilding Company yards included machine, woodworking, blacksmith and furnace shops, as well as 900 feet of waterfront on the east side of the harbour. The company also owned the Owen Sound Dry Dock. Capable of handling the largest vessels afloat at the time, it was the first facility of its kind on the upper lakes.

The construction was difficult with many complications. But the Manitoba was launched in May, 1889. She was 305 feet long, with a beam of 38 feet, and was considered the last word on Great Lakes shipbuilding. Her upper deck was 250 feet long with 64 staterooms all finished in antique oak. Ironically, by the time the vessel was launched, business in Canada had slowed to the point that she didn't sail for two years. In later years, the Manitoba was to be the only CPR ship never to lose a passenger and never have a serious accident."

From the book "The Port of Owen Sound: 1840-1912" by Richard J. Thomas, published by The Ginger Press 

reproduced with the kind permission of the author