SS ''Norisle'' was a Canadian steam-powered automobile

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

that operated between Tobermory and South-Baymouth

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island ( ) is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia (bioregion), Laurentia. With an area of , it is the Lake ...

alongside her sister ships, the and the , owned by the

Owen Sound Transportation Company The Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario responsible for operating seasonal ferry services within Ontario, Canada. OSTC is based in Owen Sound and was originally established in 1921 as a pr ...

. The name ''Norisle'' was derived from "Nor", a contraction of the Northern Region of

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

, and "Isle", referring to

. After use as a museum ship from 1975, it was scrapped in 2023

Ferry operations

''Norisle'' was built at the Collingwood shipyards in 1946; the first steamship built in Canada after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Her engines were designed and built for a

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

corvette, but because of the end of the war, they were installed in ''Norisle'' instead. They are now the only remaining engines of their type in existence today. The ship had two doors on the starboard with a ramp that allowed vehicles to drive on and off the vessel during her service as a ferry. She sailed until the year 1974, when she and her

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...

, ''Norgoma'', were replaced by the much larger and more modern which could accommodate a much larger number of automobiles, and passengers (but no livestock).

Retirement

''Norisle'' was purchased by the town of

Assiginack Assiginack () is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on Manitoulin Island. An Ontario Historical Plaque was built on the grounds of the Assiginack Museum by the province to commemorate the Manitoulin Treaties' role in Ontario' ...

in 1975 for $1, and was permanently berthed at the Assiginack Museum Complex on

as a museum ship for tourists to explore. For the last few years it had also served as a training ground for Canadian Naval Cadets. In later years, ''Norisle'' fell into a state of disrepair. The ship was slowly sinking due to rainwater entering through her engine room vents and the main smokestack. This issue was stopped by placing

tarpaulin A tarpaulin ( , ) or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. Tarpaulins often have reinf ...

s over the ingress points. City leaders planned on having it towed to deep water and sunk as a dive site, however these plans have been halted because a support group for ''Norisle'' was formed in March 2007, "Friends of the Norisle." The group planned to investigate refurbishing or using the ship for beneficial purposes. Efforts failed and the ship was towed to Marine Recycling Corporation in

Port Colborne Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after ...

in 2023 for scrapping.Historic Canadian ferry scrapped ''

Ships Monthly Kelsey Media Ltd is a magazine publisher and trade fair company based in Yalding, England. Founded in 1989, it has bought and sold many publications over the years, including former Bauer Media Group magazines ''Sea Angler'', ''Car Mechanics'' ...

'' December 2023 page 9

References

External links

History of Ferries on the Great LakesOfficial website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norisle, SS 1946 ships Museum ships in Ontario Norisle-class ferries Ships built in Collingwood, Ontario Transport in Manitoulin District Steamships of Ontario