Chi-Cheemaun Returns to Bruce Peninsula Route for Summer Season

Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, notes that the season is officially underway on northern Lake Huron: the ferry *Chi-Cheemaun* has departed its winter berth in Owen Sound and resumed daily service between Tobermory and South Baymouth on Manitoulin Island. The "Big Canoe" left harbor on May 1st for a sold-out spring repositioning cruise, then transitioned to regular scheduled sailings on Friday. Service will run daily through October 18th, with a new Sail Through Time exhibit—featuring historic photographs and artifacts—now aboard for passengers to explore free of charge during crossings. Water conditions across the Great Lakes remain favorable for early-season navigation. Lake Erie is running 2.99 feet above Low Water Datum, while Lake Huron—where the *Chi-Cheemaun* operates—sits at 2.05 feet above datum. Superior, Michigan, and Ontario are all well above their normal spring levels. Current National Weather Service forecasts call for light winds and 1- to 2-foot waves across most of the system through Friday, with high pressure dominating and only Erie seeing slightly choppier conditions as low pressure approaches late in the week. The return of the ferry marks a quiet but symbolic turning point: pleasure traffic and regional service have resumed their rhythm, even as the broader shipping season awaits final clearance. However, concerns loom beyond the buoys. The Chamber of Marine Commerce recently warned of an aging federal icebreaker fleet and looming labor shortages that could threaten Canada's shipping capacity and trade goals—a reminder that the lakes' economic lifeline depends on more than fair weather and rising water levels. As the season gains momentum, the Great Lakes face their own conservation challenges. Michigan lawmakers are moving to fund a whitefish restock initiative to save an iconic species vanishing from the lower lakes, while dam safety experts are preparing for more extreme weather events similar to the record-breaking April floods that tested the state's 2,500 aging dams.