Community Waterfront Heritage Centre, Owen Sound

10/21/2026

Update for anyone in the Welland Canal area! The Chi-Cheemaun is expected to arrive at the canal tomorrow, October 22nd, around 8:00am.

10/21/2026

⚓️ Spooky stories from the Great Lakes await! Join us at Greenwood Cemetery Sailor Grave Stories & Great Lakes Ghost Ships.



🕗 45-minute walking tour starting at the mausoleum

🎟️ $10 | Tickets available at the museum or online at https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/sailor-grave-stories-and-great-lakes-ghost-ships--2026

📅 October 23, 24, 29

📅 November 20, 21, 22



👟 Wear comfy shoes and get ready for tales of shipwrecks, captains, and sailors lost to the waves.

10/19/2026

For one night only! The Chi-Cheemaun has arrived in Owen Sound's harbour.

According to a press release from the Owen Sound Transportation Company, the ship's crew will run an evacuation drill October 19 at 9:00am and will depart for dry dock in Hamilton later the same day.

10/17/2026

Name that Ship! This week’s ship:

⚒️ Was a car ferry built by Russel Brothers in Owen Sound
🚢 Provided service between New Brunswick and Quebec and later from Kingston to Wolfe Island
⚓ Eventually ended up abandoned in Lorraine, Ohio, where it’s listed online as the “Black River Ghost Ship.”

Our last mystery ship was the Manitoba.

10/16/2026

The Chi-Cheemaun is going to dry dock this year, but we’ll still have one spectacle from it in the harbour! This Monday, October 19, the ‘Big Canoe’ will arrive early in the morning to conduct the annual evacuation drill. Come out at 9:00am on Monday to see the ship’s evacuation equipment in action!

The Chi-Cheemaun will depart for dry dock in Hamilton, Ontario, later that day.

Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 16, 2026

MS Chi-Cheemaun to Enter Dry Dock Following 2026 Sailing Season
Public invited to watch Marine Evacuation System Safety Drill

Owen Sound, Ont. – With the 2026 sailing season concluding on October 18, the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC) is reminding passengers and community members that there will be no public fall repositioning cruise this year. The MS Chi-Cheemaun will sail overnight to Owen Sound, arriving in the harbour early Monday morning, October 19, before the vessel departs later that day for dry dock in Hamilton, Ontario. The scheduled dry dock period supports mandatory inspections and maintenance to help ensure the vessel remains safe and reliable for future sailing seasons.

Join us at Owen Sound Harbour on October 19 at 9:00 a.m. to watch the crew deploy the MS Chi-Cheemaun’s port-side Marine Evacuation System (MES). The exercise supports OSTC’s ongoing commitment to safety and emergency preparedness. OSTC staff and Georgian College marine students will participate as passengers while the MES is deployed and a Zodiac boat tows the life raft to shore. Everyone is welcome to watch!

Passengers can visit the ontarioferries.com early next year for information on the 2027 sailing schedule.

This is the final weekend to join us aboard the MS Chi-Cheemaun this season, with service between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island available until October 18. Whether travelling by motor home, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or passenger, come out to enjoy the scenic crossing of Georgian Bay. For reservations and information, call 1-800-265-3163 or visit ontarioferries.com.

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This has been shared on our website: https://www.ontarioferries.com/ccmdrydockandmes2026/

10/15/2026

We had a bit of a homecoming at the museum today.

Models of the Caribou, Manitoulin, Normac, and Asia returned home from the OLD MILL Heritage Centre in Kagawong. The models were first loaned to the Heritage Centre in 2024 for an exhibit about the history of the Manitoulin Island ferries. We were thrilled to help with the exhibit, and are happy to have the models back home.

We wanted to say an extra special thank you to Rick Nelson, the Curator of the Old Mill Heritage Centre, both for arranging the exhibit and personally delivering the models back to Owen Sound.

10/14/2026

An era is ending on Owen Sound's harbour: after 101 years of operation, Owen Sound's grain elevator will shut its doors in December.

The elevator was built in 1925, restoring Owen Sound's involvement in the grain trade. Access to grain shipments had been disrupted when the original Canadian Pacific Railway Elevators burned down in 1911. It was built with a capacity of 1 million bushels, but had to be expanded twice to meet demand. The elevator has been owned by Parrish & Heimbecker since the 1950s.

Despite the decline of the grain trade on Georgian Bay, the Owen Sound elevator continued to see use as most others closed. Marine shipments were sustained primarily by the presence of a Parrish & Heimbecker mill in Hanover.

Open or closed, the Owen Sound grain elevator's century of operation will continue to be a celebrated part of local history.

10/13/2026

The museum has now moved to our Winter hours. We will be open Thursday to Saturday from 12pm-4pm each day.

Want to visit other days of the week? The museum will still be open by appointment. Just call 519-371-3333 or email [email protected] to set up your visit!

10/11/2026

The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre is open until 4pm today, October 11th, with free admission! It's the best time to visit and see our new exhibit, "The Family Fleet," all about the Hindman Transportation Company.

We can't wait to share this part of Owen Sound's story with you!