It’s a couple of weeks late, but one of Ontario’s longest-running ferries is finally on the high seas.
The Chi-Cheemaun is building steam just in time for the long weekend.
The ferry was delayed almost two weeks because there wasn’t enough water in Georgian Bay.
Chi-Cheemaun owners said they warned the government last season that fenders on the docks in Tobermory and on Manitoulin Island were not high enough to let the ship dock. That caused damage to the Chi-Cheemaun. Its repair costs are $270,000.
But Georgian Bay has risen nearly 30 centimetres since the beginning of May.
So starting Friday, it will begin its normal trips between Tobermory and South Baymouth.
That pleases Jay Adamson, who has been riding the ferry for more than 20 years.
She says it is vital for transportation in the area.
“If you don’t take the Chi-Cheemaun, you’ve got to go the whole way around driving. That takes forever.”
The ferry has been running for 90 years.
