Correction: Corrected September 17, 2026: the water-level paragraph was withdrawn because this imported legacy edition does not retain its underlying gauge snapshot. Its numerical readings and navigation implications are unverified. NOAA measurement context.
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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.
The original water-level paragraph has been withdrawn. This legacy edition was imported from a WordPress draft without the underlying gauge snapshot, so its numerical readings and navigation implications cannot be verified from the archived source data.
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.