Tradition continues today, as the Canadian company successfully operates two ferry services on the Great Lakes. Since 1974, the MS Chi-Cheemaun has made the northern crossing between Tobermory and South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island. Within the past decade, the M.V. Jiimaan has been added to service passengers crossing Lake Erie between Pelee Island and the mainland.

The MS Chi-Cheemaun employs highly specialized and professional crew to transport you safely to your destination. With emphasis placed on your safety and travel comfort, we strive to make you feel at home aboard the Chi-Cheemaun. Allow our reputation for 30 years of excellent customer service to make your next journey across Georgian Bay a pleasant experience.

MS Chi-Cheemaun is the largest passenger/car vessel on the Great Lakes and follows a long line of ships successfully run by the Owen Sound Transportation Company for more than 80 years.

To find out more about Owen Sound Transportation Company, please see our Annual Report (pdf).

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Annual Reports

• 2002-2003 Annual Report (pdf)
• 2003-2004 Annual Report (pdf)

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History

A History of Service to Pelee Island Since 1821
For the first 140 years after settlement on Pelee Island, passenger and freight movement connecting the Island to the mainland was limited to private initiative, but only for about eight months of the year. Unpredictable weather discouraged private sailing vessels from traveling along Lake Erie during the peak of winter.

In the summer of 1821, American surveyors working on the islands of the Western Basin hired the Sylph, the first named vessel, to stop at Pelee Island. Then in the mid-1830s, the Schooner Adelaide provided a regular link from Pelee to the mainland. By the ‘40s, several schooners including the Chapman, Comet and Ambush were servicing Island residents with supplies.

The first attempt to bring regular steamboat service to the Island arrived in 1870 with the short-lived run of the SS Valley City. Other steamers also made attempts during this period including the Steamer Lake Breeze and Steamer Bob Hackett. In years to follow, the Erie Belle, Queen City, City of Dresden, Telegram, Lakeside and Imperial also provided scattered service to the Island.

(Click on the images to enlarge)

Island Residents Strive for Reliability
With the turn of the century came continued efforts to service Pelee residents. But a desire for more reliable service prompted some Island residents to form a stock company and purchase the SS Saugatuck, renamed the Alfred Clark. During the brief period from 1909 to 1913, Island residents realized some transportation stability with the steady operation of the Saugatuck.

Around the same time, the Windsor and Pelee Island Steamship Co. of Amherstburg was formed to build a vessel for Pelee Island trade. The Collingwood Shipbuilding Company built a very reliable freight and passenger steamer titled SS Pelee that would accommodate local needs for the next half-century. A leader of its time, the SS Pelee was built of steel with a triple expansion jet engine delivering 500 hp with a mean speed of 14.5 miles per hour. The vessel could comfortably accommodate 500 passengers. Other vessels including the Islet Prince and the SS Waubic serviced Island trade during the same years as the Pelee. In 1951, the MV Avon and then the Leamington in 1957 serviced the route. However, the longstanding tradition of lake trade would soon come to an end.

Safety Becomes The New Priority
Within a few years, the Canadian government legislated more stringent safety requirements increasing operational costs and driving the private sector out of the trade. The federal government responded to this shortage with construction of the MV Pelee Islander in 1960. With capacity to transport 16 vehicles and 285 passengers, the Pelee Islander was operated by the Pelee Shipping Company but subsidized by its owner, the Federal Government. Then in 1979, the vessel was transferred to the province for one dollar.

The MV Upper Canada also began to service the Island in 1977 as a supplement to the Pelee Islander but the smaller vessel was limited to 12 vehicles and 100 passengers. Over the next decade, both vessels would become inadequate in servicing the changing needs of Island residents. Longer vessels that replaced old lake freighters could not fit into the Island’s small harbour and Pelee farmers were uncertain how their grain would get to market.

A Modern-Day Service to Meet Rising Demand
By the late 1980s the return of viticulture drew interest from tourists, more people were establishing summer residency on the Island and by the early ‘90’s the Island was becoming a weekend destination to escape the traffic jams and bustling cities within a few hours drive. All of these factors made it clear that the existing transportation system was no longer adequate.

The provincial government responded to this new Island vibrancy with the construction of a larger vessel. The MV Jiimaan was built at Port Weller Shipyards in Ontario and made its maiden voyage in August 1992. With capacity to transport 400 passengers and 34 vehicles, this impressive structure featured modern navigational aids including a computerized pilot’s house, surveillance cameras and an on-screen fire detection system. Passenger amenities included an onboard gift shop, cafeteria, child playroom and video game room.

Still in operation today, the Jiimaan became the answer to ship farm products, transport large construction equipment to the Island and accommodate a growing tourism industry.

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