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Great Lakes Museum set to welcome the S.S. Keewatin to Kingston this weekend

Blue skies with darker cloudes take up the top portion of the image, with calm water below and a few ships resting close to the shore, secured to docks.
The waterfront in Kingston, Ontario. Photo by Christena Lawrie.
Christena Lawrie - CFRC - Kingston • ON | 19-10-2023
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After experiencing a few delays due to weather earlier this month, The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston has officially announced that the Titanic-era S.S. Keewatin is set to arrive in Kingston on Monday.

The S.S. Keewatin is the oldest remaining Edwardian-era ship of its kind in the world. It is currently undergoing refurbishment at the Hamilton shipyard, and will soon set sail for Kingston, passing by the Toronto waterfront on the afternoon of Oct. 21. The Keewatin will permanently reside at the Great Lakes Museum, located at the historic Kingston Dry Dock, after its arrival.

“The arrival of S.S. Keewatin in Kingston will mark the start of the next chapter of her life, one in which we hope she will make many new friends and admirers,” said Chris West, Board Chair for the Great Lakes Museum. “We encourage anyone with an interest in ships like the Titanic, in Canadian history, and in maritime heritage to visit us in Kingston starting next spring to enjoy the Keewatin and all our Museum has to offer.”

The arrival of this ship to the museum has been heavily anticipated, even prompting a change in the name and an updated logo for the museum earlier in the fall.

West explained in an interview with CFRC earlier in the season, “we thought, well, we're never going to have a chance again like this one, with the arrival of the Keewatin, to refresh our brand to do a rebranding that perhaps would be very much in keeping with where the museum is going and expanding our horizons a bit. It is apparent that the Keewatin is a story about the entire Great Lakes and even beyond, it fits into Canadian history and European history.”

Guests and onlookers are being invited to welcome the ship to Kingston at the Museum on the day of arrival.

Those interested can sign up for the S.S. Keewatin mailing list for updates on the ship’s journey to Kingston.

Tours of the Keewatin will be offered beginning in spring 2024, as refurbishment work will be continuing following its arrival in Kingston.

Listen to the story below to learn more about the Museum from Museum Board Chair Chris West:

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