Just a small excursion here in Canada

[Kapitan]

Today i had a little trip not far from home here in Central Canada I havent posted much recently with regards to places i have been and well as we all know COVID has closed down a lot of places but not only that right now the USA Canada border is also closed alas i am snookered !

Maybe not...........

I got wind a few weeks ago that the museum ships of the Marine museum of Manitoba will be opening up.

Museum ships in Manitoba you say? are you sure?

Absolutly !

What a lot of you may not realise is that Lake Winnipeg is a vast Freshwater lake and yes they used to have ships plying the tourist trade and also working ships like tugs and fishing ships, but also one other thing to note and its very important.

Manitoba despite being in Central Canada is not landlocked like Saskatchewan or Alberta.
To the north there is the deep water port of Churchill (now defunct) that has ready and open access to the ocean via the fabled north west passage, unfortunately these lakes freeze solid in winter so vessel traffic stops and the ice roads begin (and yes i have driven my truck over a frozen lakeon the lake by B S, on Flickr ).

During the summer months tempratures exceed +40c and during winter they can drop below -40c its a harsh climate and when approaching these vessels you can totally see how the climate has taken the toll on these ships.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...posted-public/

Approaching the ships you can see clearly they need a bit of love and attention, the short summer months allows for only quick work as its impossible to paint or maintain in winter.

By far the largest ships is the Keenora she is a wooden vessel built in 1896 origionally in Ontario however, in 1915 she was dismantled and put into rail cars and shipped to Lake winniped, she was also stretched to add another 30ft onto her length this increased her cabin space to 65.
Keenora would have a very long life serving a total of 69 years, in 1966 due to a change in the maritime laws she was put out of servicepending disposal, the cost of refit to expensive to meet the new requirement.
She was saved in 1973 and bought up onto dry land where she sits in company with several other ships.

The next vessel is the CCGS Bradbury a icebreaker

DSCN3461 by B S, on Flickr

Built in 1915 she plied the Lake using triple expansion steam engines until 1935, the Bradbury was used exclusively for servicing light houses, fishery patrol and ice breaking however; in 1935 she became uneconomical to operate and was left to languish is layup.

She got a new lease of life however in 1952 when she was refitted with diesel engines, this proved to be her daving grace, she once more continued her service until she finally paid off in 1973. DSCN3547 by B S, on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...7711258233718/

Of all the museum ships in the Marine museum of Manitoba the Keenora and Bradbury are in my view the most elegant the grand old ladies if you were.
But as we move along there is one ship that says to me pure purpose.

The Joe Simpson is more of a floating shoe box than a ship, she does look rather dull and uninteresting, he boxy shape reminds me of the Russian Lada Riva of the 1970's and you wouldnt be far wrong with that time line either.

Built in 1963 the Joe Simpson was designed to replace the ship directly in front of her in the Museum the Chickama II which was built in 1944.
Both were built to ferry perople and goods between Warren landing and norway house this has since ceased.

My only view is atleast the Chickama II has some character, and has some resemblance to a vessel.

DSCN3480 by B S, on Flickrhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/48868540531/in/album-72157711258233718/

Another of the bigger ships is the Hydrographic and fishery ship Lady Canadian, she was built in 1944 and does have some elegance to her, https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...7711258233718/

Capable of mapping as well as fishing the Lady Canadian was rebuilt from her 40's appearance in 1963 and served so im told into the 1990's
DSCN3489 by B S, on Flickr

The last of the walk on exhibits and the smallest is the barge tug Peguis II,
DSCN3445 by B S, on Flickr

Built in 1955 she wouldnt see a long service life infact less than 20 years, he hull is in remarkable condition and so is her deck, its clear this tug is not designed to operate outside the lake environment but she is well built.

After 19 years of service she was decommissioned as there was little need for her, but this little ship got lucky and found herself in good company along side the Keenora and Bradbury.

By the time these ships had decomissioned, shipping on the lake had almost ground to an entire hault, the Ship that replaced the Keenora the Lord Selkirk would not enjoy a long career like the Keenora.

The Lord Selkirk which replaced Keenora set sail in 1969 but due to declining passenger numbers she was laid up in 1990, she would instead of getting a new lease of life meet a miserable demise, she was set on fire by suspected arsonists after being laid up for twenty years, in 2015 she was cut up for scrap bringing an end to the Lake winnipegs passenger trade.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...7711258233718/

The album can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313...h/50203525103/

Dont forget to check museumships on face book and also museumships.us