IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode of Great Lakes Now, sail Lake Huron in a work boat designed centuries ago, bring a historic passenger ship back to its former glory, and news from around the Lakes.

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Resurrecting a Titanic-era cruise ship

SEGMENT 1 | Saugatuck, MI; Port McNicoll, Ontario; Kingston, Ontario

When the S.S. Keewatin was built in Glasgow Scotland in 1907, the shipwrights knew the finished ship would be too large to fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway and Welland Canal. So, they built bulkheads into her hull and the ship was split into two pieces when she reached Montreal. The two pieces were then towed separately to Buffalo, NY where they were reconnected.

The S.S. Keewatin operated in the Upper Great Lakes throughout the first half of the 1900s. As part of the Canadian Pacific Railroad fleet. But by the 1960s, faster modes of transportation took hold, and hundreds of steamships like the Keewatin were decommissioned and sold for scrap.

Over the next 50 years, it would take no less than three miracles for her to reach the Great Lakes Museum in Kingston, Ontario where she sits today.

“It’s the mandate of the Great Lakes Museum to preserve this ship for all of Canada, for all the world because it is one of a kind for the world,” Doug Cowie, the Great Lakes Museum manager.

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Can this historic sailboat handle Lake Huron?

SEGMENT 2 | Waukegan, Illinois

When a few friends in Tawas City, Michigan, decided to build a boat one winter, they unknowingly laid the groundwork for what would become a vibrant, community-focused maritime institution. Today, Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing continues to fulfill its mission of sharing the rich maritime heritage of the Great Lakes with sailors of all ages.

Their impact is especially profound among youth. The sailing school introduces children to the art of sailing, while the underwater ROV program equips teens with career-building skills through cutting-edge technology. Their boat-building workshop offers at-risk youth the chance to experience the rewards of hard work and teamwork.

“Life lessons. Right? And that’s what we try to teach them. We want to leave here knowing that they can do something,” said Leo Chartier, a founding member of Heritage Coast Sailing and Rowing.

To truly experience a Mackinaw boat, there’s no better way than to sail one. Join correspondent Ward Detwiler as he embarks on a journey with the crew of this historic vessel, which largely vanished from the Great Lakes in the early twentieth century.

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The Catch: News about the Lakes You Love

SEGMENT 3 | Niagara Falls, NY; Alpena, MI; Port Washington, WI; Sheboygan, WI; Manitowoc, WI

The Catch is your one-stop-shop for news from around the Great Lakes. This month, go inside the Aquarium of Niagara’s new expansion all about the wildlife that call the Great Lakes home. Then, explore NOAA’s system of underwater parks that preserve shipwrecks and historic sites in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario.

In July of 2024, the Aquarium of Niagara opened Great Lakes 360, a new expansion dedicated to showcasing the fish, reptiles, and amphibians that call the Great Lakes home. “Aquariums are really good at connecting people to habitats that they may never have been to before and that are found all over the world. But lots of us tend to take for granted the species that are in our own backyard,” said Chad Fifer, president and CEO of the Aquarium of Niagara. The expansion is home to 16 new exhibits, including a chance for visitors to touch a lake sturgeon.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) manages the National Marine Sanctuary System: underwater parks that preserve important cultural and natural resources. The Great Lakes are home to three of these sanctuaries, with a fourth potentially on the way. “There’s many nationally significant historic sites that are beneath the waters of the Great Lakes,” said Russ Green, superintendent of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Green spoke with us about the three sanctuaries in the Great Lakes and what each one has to offer.