Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, turns to the season’s first major vessel movement: the Chi-Cheemaun, the iconic “Big Canoe,” departed Owen Sound on May 1 and has resumed daily ferry service between the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. The vessel kicked off its 2026 sailing schedule with a sold-out spring repositioning cruise before settling into its regular summer route, which runs through October 18. This season, the Chi-Cheemaun features a “Sail Through Time” exhibit aboard, historic photographs and artifacts available free to passengers, marking another addition to what remains one of the Great Lakes’ most beloved passenger vessels.
Across Superior, meanwhile, conditions are far less welcoming. A gale warning remains in effect through this evening as a deep 29-inch low pressure system tracks across the lake, generating waves around three feet. The trough is lifting toward James Bay by Tuesday morning as a ridge of 30.2-inch pressure builds in behind it. Lake Michigan and Erie are also under gale warnings through Monday afternoon and Tuesday respectively, with waves building to three and four feet. Superior sits 1.55 feet above Low Water Datum at the Sault, while Michigan runs higher at 1.93 feet, favorable conditions for cargo operations once this blow passes.
Over in Superior, Wisconsin, the SS Meteor, the last whaleback freighter afloat, entered its final prep week for the 2026 tourist season. Superior Historic Properties extended the traditional volunteer work weekend to a full week, with crews painting, cleaning, de-winterizing, and staging the historic vessel. Under city management as of this year, the Meteor continues its 20-year tradition of welcoming spring volunteers, a living connection to the lake’s industrial past.
As the navigation season gains momentum, the loss of Maurice D. Smith, founding curator of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston and a pioneer in maritime digital history, reminds us of the scholars who preserve these waters’ stories. Smith’s legacy, from his iconic museum collections to the MARHST-L listserv he co-founded in 1994, shaped how we understand Great Lakes maritime heritage. The Chi-Cheemaun’s new exhibit honors that tradition: keeping history afloat.