Iconic Ferry Has Completed More Than 24,000 Voyages Since 1974
Media Release - MPP Rick Byers
September 30, 2024 – TOBERMORY — The MS Chi-Cheemaun is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its maiden voyage in 1974, commemorating five decades of sailing across Lake Huron.
“The MS Chi-Cheemaun is one of the most recognizable ferries in Canada, offering passengers spectacular views of Georgian Bay every summer and into the fall,” said Rick Byers, MPP, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound on behalf of Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Tourists and locals have relied on the MS Chi-Cheemaun for years and today we’re marking a milestone for this historic ferry.”
Since it first set sail, the MS Chi-Cheemaun has served as an iconic symbol of Georgian Bay, completing more than 24,000 voyages between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island. The ferry has carried approximately 10-million passengers and three million vehicles during its five decades of service. The ferry connects communities, serves customers, and moves essential goods to support economic development, tourism, and agricultural and commercial activity in the region by providing transportation service across Lake Huron between Highway 6 on the Bruce Peninsula to Highway 6 on Manitoulin Island.
For its 50th anniversary sailing season, the MS Chi-Cheemaun has played host to the Sail Through Time Exhibit, featuring artifacts, posters, photographs and reproductions generously on loan from the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre in Owen Sound, the Collingwood Museum and the Grey Roots Museum & Archives that showcase several historic elements related to the ferry and its predecessors throughout the years.
