Seaway Flow Halted by a Strike
The flow of ocean-going vessels on the Great Lakes has been stemmed by a strike of about 360 workers in Ontario and Quebec represented by Unifor. They work for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corportation, which operates 15 Canadian-managed locks along the seaway and 13 of those have staff on picket lines. The strike went into effect on Sunday (Oct. 22). Talks were scheduled to resume today, according to the management corporation, which added in a press release that both sides have also met with Canadian Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez," who urged them to return to the table."
“Unifor members did not undertake strike action lightly and it is our hope that the employer will resolve this dispute as quickly as possible so that normal shipping traffic can resume,” Unifor said in a statement to USNI News. That story by Heather Mongilio, which can be read here, also reports that the U.S. Navy's newest lattoral combat ship, USS Marinette (seen in this photo by Lockheed Martin) is stuck on Lake Erie because of the strike. Before walking out, the union released a statement that it was “1,000 nautical miles apart on wages” after months of negotiations with the management corporation. Read the most recent article by The Associated Press here. The latest CBC story can be read here.
The locks on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence Seaway are operated by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, a government entity. It said its employees "are on the job and working on maintenance projects at the U.S. Locks until shipping traffic resumes. We’re in constant communication with cargo operators and ports to discuss impacts of the strike." The Soo Locks on Lake Superior are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., operates a recreation lock through a contract with the federal government. Much of the intra-Lakes maritime traffic can continue.
“This situation affects ocean-going activity for the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, which makes it everyone’s concern,” Deb DeLuca, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, said in a press release just after the strike began. “This interruption of Seaway operation has immediate and longer-term consequences for Great Lakes ports, the entire Seaway System, and countries around the world hungry for our exports, especially now, during peak grain harvest season." The release noted, "This is the first strike-related, mid-season closure of the St. Lawrence Seaway since June 1968." Specific to the Duluth-Superior port, the released added that "One vessel presently loading wheat in Duluth is scheduled to deliver its cargo to Algeria upon departure through the now-shuttered Seaway. Several subsequent ships are scheduled to arrive in Duluth-Superior via the Seaway for grain in the coming weeks. Various other vessels are scheduled to arrive with imports to support regional manufacturing."
Grain shipments are especially worrisome with harvesting and also with global demands for grain exacerbated by Russia's war on Ukraine. This is an especially peak time for the Port of Thunder Bay, for which grain is a major cargo. (The chart here shows the port's shipping numbers in tonnes for September.) Kevin Jeffrey, a local journalism initiative report for TBnewswatch.com, quotes the port's recently appointed new CEO Chris Heikkinen on the situation. “Every day that the strike continues is damaging for the system, but also for our Western Canadian counterparts who are producing grain and other commodities. They rely on the seaway for shipping.” Read the full story here.
Ranger III Makes a Temporary Change of Port
The National Park Service's Ranger III was spotted coming into the Twin Ports this week headed to Fraser Shipyards in Superior (here under the Blatnik Bridge in a photo by David Schauer). Ranger III is the passenger and cargo ferry serving Isle Royale National Park out of Houghton, Mich. It is 165 feet long and 34 feet wide, launched on June 7, 1958. The Ranger III likely is undergoing maintenance work at Fraser.
And So It Begins – Time to Hibernate or Invigorate
The National Weather Service in Duluth posted this helpful guide to layering just ahead of that massive blue bubble of "below average temperatures" heading our way along with rain or snow (watch out International Falls, Minn.) or both. (Normal highs are in the 40s° F; next week's highs for the Duluth area at least will be in the 30s, but windchills may dip to single digits.)
There was another recent sign of seasonal change. The World's Best Donuts in Grand Marais, Minn., (the family and crew are pictured here) closed shop for the season after a uber-busy day on Oct. 22. The crew posted: "Our last day was Saturday, and it's the one day of the year where all the family members chip in to help out (which tends to be a little chaotic!). This year, the 5th generation were a big help as they sugared donuts, filled trays, and even ran the cash register." Meanwhile … tomorrow will be the last day of the season for Pier Plaza Restaurant in Bayfield, Wis. Tonight is Fish Fry Friday, 4-8 p.m., the annual Veterans Fish Fry donated by Hoop's Fish with proceeds going to the American Legion Post 40. Then Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. will be the final day for the restaurant before spring. The Pier Plaza Restaurant & Lodging is available for private gatherings in December.
For those who don't just hide in their homes all winter, cool news from Mount Bohemia Ski Resort at Lac La Belle in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The extreme ski locale has been nominated for the sixth year in a row by USA Today for its 10Best Ski Resorts in the nation. Mount Bohemia, best known as a destination for extreme skiers, gets 273 inches of average annual snowfall. No beginners are allowed at Bohemia (as one can imagine from this photo by Chris Guibert). It’s the only Midwestern resort to make USA Today’s 10Best list and only one of two listed east of the Mississippi River. (Stowe Mountain in Vermont is the other.) The USA Today 10Best winners are vote-generated and supporters of Mount Bohemia can vote once a day. But hold on! Lake Superior has another entry this year, too. Lutsen Mountains in Minnesota is also in the running of the top 20 listed. You'll have to pick your favorite and vote here.
Losing Two Friends of the LSM Family
Two contributors and friends of Lake Superior Magazine have passed on recently. They – and they stories they told – will be missed.
Author, photographer, history buff and keeper of the Jackfish, Ont., legacy, Lyle Nicol, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Oct. 16 in Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. He was 76. He was married to, and is survived by, Vicki Baker and had three children, two stepchildren and eight grandchildren. Lyle lived his early years in Jackfish and later grew up in Terrace Bay. He got a degree in photography from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. In his obituary, it describes Lyle as "a writer of short stories, a prolific journal keeper, and a longtime member of NOWW (Northern Ontario Writers Workshop). He liked to paint and draw. He was deeply interested in music, from classical to pop and rock, and he especially loved The Who. He enjoyed driving and road trips, especially in his Mazda with the sunroof open. The destination was often his beloved Jackfish. Above all else, he was passionate about skiing." Jackfish is now a ghost town, but Lyle continued to remember and research the special town along Lake Superior's shore. For Lake Superior Magazine, He wrote a "Jackfish, Ontario: Memories of a Lake Superior Ghost Town," which you can read here. Among the good friends he made was videographer Andy Kaknevicius of Toronto with whom he had a lot of adventures, often revisiting Jackfish (their encounter with a bear on a railway bridge was featured in an Around the Circle This Week.) Coming to the memorial services, Andy crossed along the Ontario shore of Lake Superior and arrived at the beach at Jackfish to the sight of a lone piece of driftwood standing at attention on the shore (seen in this photo). As Andy posted this lovely memorial: "While descending the trail to the secluded Pebble Beach near Jackfish, in tribute to a fallen fellow adventurer, I encountered a spectacular sight. There are many possible explanations and stories, but to me it was a genuine spiritual moment. This is a place Lyle Nicol and I visited and filmed many times, and he of course, thousands of times throughout his life. He said this beach constantly changes, never disappointing, from the most violent storms and wave action to times of absolute peace and calm. I can never drive by without a visit, and today … well, Lyle Nicol, I am blown away. Thanks for the memories!"
Freelance writer and editor David Boe, age 58, died unexpectedly on Monday (Oct. 23) and is survived by four children as well as two siblings and his ex-wife. Dave was a longtime freelance contributor to BusinessNorth (Lake Superior Magazine's sister publication), to LSM and to the former Duluth Budgeteer and former Living North magazine. He also worked as a communications professional at DSBGroup Communications.He studied political science and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He had served as a staff assistant for U.S. Rep. James Oberstar and frequently put that background to work in writing stories involving governmental projects. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Iraq conflict.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list. Keep an eye out in your Big Lake neighborhood for Halloween opportunities!
Virtual for all: It's the start of the Virtual Visitor Center series from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers centers in Duluth and Sault Ste. Marie plus the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. On Thursday, Nov. 2, at the 11:30 a.m. CT presentation The Edmund Fitzgerald Investigations will examine the Fitz’s career and the tragic loss of the ship and its 29 crewmembers. Other planned topics include Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior, a history of the Duluth-Superior Harbor and several other navigation related programs.
Michigan
Tonight, Oct. 27: Pack up your little ghouls and head to the Lock City Home Center Halloween Spooktacular (5-7 p.m.) in Sault Ste. Marie. Enjoy trunk-or-treating at the Farmer's Market or trick-or-treating at participating downtown businesses plus a special appearance by Wolfshager Hexenbrut Dancing Witches and more fun. The Parade of Frights begins at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 28: Take in both Halloween and Christmas on the same weekend in Marquette. First, head over to the Westwood Mall from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to check out the 30 local booths featuring handmade goods, from treats to jewelry to unique items, for the Fall into Christmas Gift & Craft Bazaar. Then from 4-7 p.m. stroll downtown with the costumed kiddies in tow to pick up treats at participating businesses in the 100 and 200 blocks of West Washington.
Minnesota
Tonight-Sunday, thru Oct. 28: Minnesota Ballet presents a premiere of POE, retelling selected works by America’s pre-eminent author of mystery and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy the spirit of Halloween with this spine-tingling production in the ballet's Studio Four (where, we are told, you feel like you can almost reach out and touch the action).
Saturday, Oct. 28: Pop into the dance and costume contest at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino with with Boogie Wonderland. Start 8 p.m. at the event center. Must be 18 and older. Cash prizes awarded.
Saturday, Oct. 28: Looking for something to do with the younger crowd this weekend? Check out EEK! at The Depot, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday or Boo at the Zoo at the Lake Superior Zoo, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wisconsin
Now thru Oct. 30: Washburn continues its "new" tradition as Halloween Town with a series of activities this weekend. The CYCLO-CORPSE Bike Maze created by the North Coast Cycling Association will be a fun and spooky bike experience on the courthouse lawn Saturday (Oct. 28) from 1-1:45 p.m. Navigate through obstacles and collect tokens on your way for a treat at the finish. Following the maze, hurry over to the Halloween Town Parade at 2 p.m. and ride in the parade down Washington Avenue. From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Kiddiwink Kids celebrate two years of inspiring creativity with a free Kid's Craft Event. Kids can paint a pumpkin pine cone and create a beautiful fall luminary. Crafts are for kids 1 and up, but dress for the weather; you'll be outside. Then don't forget trick-or-treating takes place on Oct. 30 each year in Washburn.
Today-Halloween, Oct. 27-31: The North End Nightmare 5K, hosted by Grandma’s Marathon, gets you running, launching at 11 a.m. Saturday from Earth Rider Brewery in Superior. There are kids races, costume contests and swag. Starting at 2 p.m., get yourself down to the Superior Spooktacular Parade (see the parade route online). It’s all part of the Superior Spooktacular celebration that also features Massacre on Hammond tonight, a Halloween haunted experience from 7-10 p.m. in the house at 1701 Hammond Ave. Then on Halloween morning, from 9:30-10:45 a.m., bring your young ones to the free Toddler Tuesday Halloween Dance Party at Sterling Silver Studio. Come in costume and listen to stories.
Thru Halloween, Oct. 31: Walk a spooky tour with the Bayfield Ghost Walks, 7:30 p.m. daily through Halloween, starting at the parking lot of the old courthouse (now the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore headquarters) in Bayfield.
Ontario
Saturday, Oct. 28: Along Queen Street and at the plaza from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy trick-or-treating at downtown businesses plus activities all along the way for Halloween on Queen. Take in the thrills at the Haunted House at the Sault Museum through Halloween.
Saturday, Oct. 28: Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra takes us through a Time Warp: The Music of Rocky Horror remembering the classics from the funky movie, "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Start 7:30 p.m. in the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
More Spooky Links for the Road: Cottage Life in Toronto posted a list of "Erie facts about the Great Lakes," (their pun, though we like it). On that list are two items about Lake Superior – why the Lake "never gives up its dead" plus a nod to Lake Superior Magazine's story about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) holding a séance at Silver Islet. Read that full story about a Silver Isle ghost by Bill MacDonald here.
Photo & graphic credits: Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Lockheed Martin; Port of Thunder Bay; David Schauer; National Weather Service; World's Best Donuts; Chris Guibert/Mount Bohemia; Andy Kaknevicius; Dave Boe;