Lake Superior Journal
by James R. Marshall
It's Time to Explore the Rest of the Shore
'Oh, by the way," said Rossport, Ontario's
Rose Marie Renaud. "Have you seen this?" With this remark, she
handed me a small 51/2"
by 81/2" booklet at the
recent Duluth Boat, Sports and Travel show. I added it to my rapidly growing
collection of literature.
Hours later, as I explored the pile, I found the brochure titled "Superior
Boating for Ontario, Canada," with a subheadline of "Canadian
North Shore of Lake Superior Marina Guide."
Well, just wait a minute, I thought. Just wait a darn minute! These
northerly neighbors of ours are quick and often prone to exaggeration,
but I've been boating on this glorified puddle since 1950, and for them
to claim that there are a bunch of MARINAS for this remote stretch of incredibly
beautiful Lake Superior shoreline was stretching it even by Canadian
standards!
But then I remembered that just a couple of years ago we took Skipper
Sam II on a tour of the very coast they are touting. We related that trip
in our story "Ontario's Golden Coast" [August-September 1996].
Now that I think of it, those marinas really do exist. And we've been there.
The new booklet is very well done. It starts out with a marina services
chart covering the area from the Minnesota-Ontario border at Pigeon River
all the way to the beautiful Roberta Bondar Marina at Sault Ste. Marie,
Ontario. Then it goes on with maps and significant detailed discussions
of each of the many harbors where cruising campers with small boats, kayakers
or cruising yachtsmen and sailors can find shelter and services.
I'll quickly admit that the promise of services for transient boaters
has been a constant on this part of the north and east shores of Lake Superior
for about 35 years. Many years ago, it took sheer guts for the Buck family
to begin a commercial marina operation on the Michipicoten River near Wawa
about a mile above Michipicoten Bay. Now this fine facility, about halfway
along the eastern lakeshore, is both a welcome and sheltered point of rest.
Neat for crew change, replenishing of supplies and, for us power boaters,
fuel.
During
my first years on the north shore, in the summer of 1965 old Skipper Sam
was purchased along with title to the steamer America, sunk "as is
and where is, in the North Gap of Isle Royale, Michigan." In those
days, the "hostile and dangerous" unexplored Canadian shore of
the lake was indeed an area to be avoided by boaters. And an area to hold
in utmost respect.
It took a character, Thunder Bay dentist "Buddy" Saunders,
to attract our initial attention. In 1967, we were sharing the tiny dock
on Isle Royale's Birch Island, just inside the angular opening of McCargoe
Cove. Getting out his Canadian chart, we wound up discussing the incredible
amount of detail common to the Canadian Hydrographic Service charts. In
truth, Buddy Saunders has probably covered more miles of the restricted
and open waters of northwestern Ontario on Lake Superior than could be
noted in any one book.
Time, we realized, to go northeast. The next year found us rounding
Mink Island in Thunder Bay's myriad of islands. Plaintively, we called
"Thunder Bay Marine Radio" on old channel 68, long a forgotten
avenue of contact. As the awesome stature of the Nor'westers, Thunder Bay's
giant rocky protectors to the west, became visible, I noted the quiet silence
amongst our crew. "Just how beautiful can this lake get?"
This giant patch of water challenges any person or any boat. The response
we got from the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Customs was both pleasant
and efficient, as it remains. But on arrival today we tie to a beautiful
dock, enjoy fine showers and all the hospitality and fun of Thunder Bay.
These upper lake folks were hard to live with when they didn't even
have electricity, much less a fancy book produced by the North of Superior
Marina Marketing Association with no less than 25 members. At Rossport,
we've been promised a sanitary system pumpout and "fuel on the dock"
since Richard Nixon claimed he was "not involved" with Watergate.
It's been part of the fun, honestly, to sneer year after year at those
proponents, because Rose Marie's coffee is soooooo good!
I guess I've added one more young and muscular guest to the crew each
year, just to avail ourselves of the fuel at Rossport hauled in small containers
from goodness knows where.
Well, we're happy to say those days have dwindled and life among the
Ontario marinas has indeed gotten better. As you get your watercraft ready
for this summer's fun, add a few sweaters and an extra pair of long pants,
socks and boots, as well as rain gear. Then consider heading into Canadian
waters. The only price you'll pay is the experience of a close look at
the unspoiled north shore of Lake Superior. Realize that it is almost as
it appeared as the ice melted and the glaciers disappeared.
If boating this portion of the lake intrigues you, we think an excellent
place to start is with the information presented in the North of Superior
Marina Marketing Association's booklet. It also has a good resource list
in the back. The North of Superior Tourism folks have one purpose: to give
us better and more comfortable access to Lake Superior. These days it's
safer and much more convenient for any watercraft, regardless of size.
To get a free copy, call their toll-free number 800-265-3951.
It's time to explore this part of Lake Superior.
