Resurrecting a Titanic-era Cruise Ship | Great Lakes Now

The S.S. Keewatin was not the fastest or fanciest #cruiseship of her day, but she is the only surviving Edwardian Era passenger liner in the world. After a lifetime navigating the #greatlakes, the Keewatin has found a new home at the ‪@greatlakesmuseum‬ in Kingston, #ontario. Go behind the scenes and see what it took to restore the S.S. Keewatin to her former glory.
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“Resurrecting a Titanic-era cruise ship” was produced by Great Lakes Now/‪@detroitpbs‬
Produced and Written by
Kathy Johnson
Narrated by
Laura Weber Davis
Edited by
Bill Allesee
Camera
Graeme Bachiu
Greg Lashbrook
Additional Material
Great Lakes Museum (‪@greatlakesmuseum‬)
Prelinger Archive
Library and Archives of Canada (‪@LibraryArchiveCanada‬)
John Reus
The RJ and Diane Peterson Keewatin Foundation
Eric Conroy
Windsor Aerial Drone Photography (‪@windsoraerialdronephotography‬)

[@jaynorris3722]

What a beauty!!! I hope she lives and sails for many decades to come.

[@iancanuckistan2244]

She won't be sailing again, she's permanently docked in Kingston harbor where you may look at it or for a price, take a tour of it.

[@randomrazr]

@@iancanuckistan2244 should be dry docked. sitting in water isnt good for it

[@chipps1066]

Fascinating,thanks to all responsible for preserving this magnificent piece of history!

[@davidstumer3360]

What a wonderful job all the volunteers did to preserve this piece of history. Thank You each and every one. You did a really excellent job.❤🚢❤

[@KeyboardBuster]

Lots of volunteers only because there is nothing else important or interesting to do in Canada except for polishing rusty old knobs.

[@heightsbandsman4304]

So that's how it's pronounced! Very fine video in every respect. I'm so glad this vessel was saved and restored by so many great people.

[@tomblack6972]

I sailed on her, a west bound cruise, in the summer 1956. On the top deck is a funnel that connects to the engine room. You could hear shovels scraping across the deck down below, picking up coal!. In the video, there are shown 2 types of staterooms. One has upper and lower bunks and a couch which is actually a day bed. We 3 kids bunked in there, and our parents had the other type of stateroom where there are 2 lower beds.

[@danielsplayhouse3804]

It would have been nice if the SS United States was taken care of like this ship was so they can put it back out as a museum.... With it being the fastest cruise ship in the world....

[@simon-oy6um]

Great idea but all her insides have been sold off ,got a few million to spare she's all yours 😊

[@juliellong862]

I was honored to be able to take the full tour while she was in Port McNicol. She is a splendid example of the era of steamships and the dedication of the volunteers who spent untold hours refinishing her. Her massive steam triple engines are fascinating, most people have never seen steamers in action, our family actually has had several steamboats on a smaller scale though. I'm so glad to have had the chance to see such a great piece of history.

[@ToddHavel]

Went aboard twice as a young lad in the 1970’s. Was a listing rotting wood wreak, spooky (felt abandoned). Then later that decade was painted and no longer listing. Looked much better. Went back to see it two years ago and it was gone! Figured it was scraped. Very happy to know it has been loved and repaired. Perhaps I will plan a trip to see it in the new location.

[@randomviking8676]

The dedicated team of volunteers did a Fantastic job!!

[@danielkapp9468]

Believe me if you want. I remember visiting the ship in Douglas as a kid, I don't think I ever went on board, but I do have a picture of being outside it. I know that I had a brief conversation with the gentleman who ran the museum. He was firmly convinced it would end up rotting away in it's berth. I was an 8 year old know nothing kid, that was convinced that it would eventually be taken back to Canada, where it belongs. The old man laughed saying that the ship would not be moved, that it would take an insane amount of money. I hope to visit it again some day soon. Glad to see it's getting restored. Would be neat if they ever got the boilers rebuilt.

[@CaptainsVoyage]

I’m still watching this video and looking at planetickets from Norway to Toronto, so that I can visit this stunning vessel…. See you soon!

[@benjaminturrano6485]

What a wonderful realization of labor, love and appreciation of history. Thank you for your efforts to save, preserve and curate this ship for posterity. I plan to visit in the near future.

[@KeyboardBuster]

Canada has no history. They are copycats. They sneek into a fight between Titans and get in a cheap shot and than think they can say they faught shoulder to shoulder with the Victor. When they really just ran away at the beginning and only showed up near the end in order to try to share the glory because they kicked the loser in the balls AFTER they went down. That's canadas way.

[@galaxieman1964]

Too bad the Liner, United States, can't find such a way to preservation.

[@danharold3087]

Its faith was determined when the furnishing were removed.

[@davidbeattie4294]

I'm a former Kingstonian and am looking forward to a visit to the Keewatin and my old stomping grounds. This is an incredible addition to a lovely waterfront. As an aside, my older brother worked on the last ship to actually use the drydock where the Keewatin now lives.

[@savr4est]

She was in Saugatuck for a while where I toured her. BEAUTIFUL! She was NOT in a "scrapyard." But thank you for keeping here safe!

[@jameskirk8638]

We also toured her while in Saugatuck and I was in awe of the beautiful wood work. The next time I saw her was on KZbin being pulled out of the mud where sat for so long. Now we get to see her in all her beauty. Thank you and job well done.

[@Peace2U-ec6es]

Wow- She looks beautiful! I toured the ship back in 1991 when she was in Saugatuck, MI. She was elegant, but needed serious renovation if she was going to survive as a museum ship. I live near Saugatuck and was sad when they towed her out, but happy to see her glowing and beautifuly restored now. Bravo!

[@crazyguy_1233]

It’s not the last steam ship of the era it’s just one of the last. We still have the SS Nomadic and Earnslaw just to name a few.

[@KeyboardBuster]

Canadians always think what they have is special and envyed by the world, they lie to the outside and to themselves. But the best they got really isn't that special. So they bs the facts.

[@mattfarahsmillionmilelexus]

What a neat, living piece of history!

[@vickilynn1204]

Breathtaking Beautiful

[@edwardlacika3022]

I am looking forward to visiting. Thank you.

[@heatherwhaley7623]

Went on the tour a couple of weeks ago. There was a lady in our group who had traveled on it when she was 8 years old. Back in 1961, I believe she said.

[@wizpin]

definitely gonna visit this beautiful ship once,

[@Streamer687]

I seem to remember (a few years back) this ship being used for a 'Murdock Mysteries' Episode?(CBC tv)

[@slipperyjim1497]

That is correct. I worked on the episode and although the ship was amazing to see it was extremely tiring shooting on. Bringing equipment up the narrow staircases was rough but there wasn't a direct path to get where you need to go on the ship it seemed like. You always had to climb a flight of stairs, turn left, go down a hall, turn right, climb a spiral staircase, etc. I needed to be about 20 years younger, lol.

[@pierrefrancois7396]

​@@slipperyjim1497 That's so cool. I actually like that episode. How long did it take to film the episode?

[@slipperyjim1497]

@@pierrefrancois7396 It was a while ago now. Just the stuff on the ship took 2 or 3 days if I recall (12 hours each day). Typically a whole episode was shot in about 7 days. Edit: Just looked it up. No wonder why my memory is foggy. It was filmed back in 2013. Seventh season 1st episode (11 seasons ago).

[@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE]

I am thrilled that she was saved! Any chance of a return to steam? ONLY Edwardian passenger ship left you say? What about the TSS Earnslaw (1912) in Queenstown, New Zealand? Steaming daily cruises under power with her original steam engines no less.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

It’s great the boat has survived all this time and maybe the fact she isn’t too big was her saving grace

[@chuckg6039]

The United States is too big to be saved.

[@Mr.-Wint]

Hercule Poirot would have loved it !

[@Tugela60]

I like how they say it is in Kingston, and then show the Prince George Hotel! Prince George is in a completely different province!

[@tmaster3332]

really irritates me that even officials get it wrong, it was not a cruise ship, it was a passenger liner, meant for ferrying people from one place to another not for touring.

[@oldtrkdrvr]

For those who like reciprocating piston steam engines, this ship is a good example! Coal fired too.

[@relevanttraveler6263]

Ok. This is on my bucket list to go visit

[@arrjay2410]

Bit of a quibble about the pronunciation of the name 'Keewatin'. The narrator pronounced it "Key-Wait-Tin." Having grown up in the region, and visited the ship when it was in Port McNicoll, I heard it pronounced "Keh-What-In" by the locals. Other than that, it was a good to see it has been preserved. The people in Port McNicoll were dedicated to preserving it, but didn't really have the resources to do it properly. I'm glad they recognized that and let it go to somewhere in Canada where it could be properly looked after. I look forward to visiting it in Kingston.

[@greatlakesmuseum]

Hi there! While that is the pronunciation of the region that shares the name, the word Keewatin is a Plains Cree term meaning northern wind. We here at the Great Lakes Museum therefore use the "Kee-wait-in" proper pronunciation of that word to be in line with the original pronunciation.

[@justingantt9896]

Happy to hear about this but still hopefully the S.S. United States will be saved. @ssusc

[@OriginalCoalRollers]

She’s beautiful

[@hotttt28]

Canuck's to the rescue !

[@BrookieCooki84]

They should consider getting her engines running again.

[@jhonsiders6077]

Saw it many times when in saugatuck taking the duck boat tours. To get it out they had to dredge the harbor and move a steam powered tug boat that was grounded I do not know what happened to it though they say it still even had coal in the bunker . I thought this ship needed hull work too ? Nothing about that . Shame it’s not able to sail would be great to see that engine run again . And to hear Greta scream How Dare You ! With a nice smokey funnel 😂

[@dlwmd]

Would the Milwaukee Clipper (ex Juniata) not also count as a remaining Edwardian liner? Despite not having the same interior the hull and power plant is from 1904?

[@nordisk1874]

Technically she’s the only complete ship of that era. There’s two others out there SS Milwaukee Clipper (1904) in Michigan and the SS Mediana aka the Doulos of 1914.

[@JeffDeWitt]

I'm not familiar with the second ship, but as the Clipper is an automobile ferry rather than a liner I think it's a different class of ship.

[@nordisk1874]

@@JeffDeWitt and the former cargo ship turned ocean liner by Costa lines is literally the 2nd oldest ocean liner after the Great Britain.

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@nordisk1874 Just looked her up, she's now a hotel on dry land !?!

[@mikemcnamee6030]

You guys produce some top quality videos, I love all your content. That said, the background music playing throughout is SOOO distracting. It muddles otherwise fascinating stuff.

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

I don't know what the Eddie Error is but I think you ment to say 2'nd Empire a reference to American industrial revolution.

[@ord4r857]

She was a museum ship in Douglas, Michigan.

[@dancostello6465]

Was this ship in drydock on water front in SSM back in the 1990s?

[@skinny1968]

Was this in midland area a few years back.

[@slipperyjim1497]

Yup.

[@nephewbob7264]

Port McNichol, close to Midland.

[@slipperyjim1497]

@@nephewbob7264 Splitting hairs.

[@foamer443]

Must have been a long wait, for Canadian Pacific to get her into service until the St Lawrence Seaway was built in the 1950's.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

💋

[@johnt8636]

Nice video. But I have to point out -- can't help it -- that there were no "cruise ships" in the Titanic era. They were ocean liners, and yes, there is a difference. Just sayin...

[@ShakespeareCafe]

Didn't mention the obvious that the ship was resting its bones all this time in fresh water preserving it

[@adamn7516]

He said this is the last surviving ship of that era. I thought the Queen Mary was from the same era of steamships?

[@cabaneencac5168]

Is there an audio guide in French? and before protesting take note that in Rimouski at the Empress of Ireland museum everything is bilingual

[@smallthings6590]

They should refurb enough rooms to make it a running hotel as well as an exhibit.

[@slipperyjim1497]

People were a lot smaller back then.

[@sreed8570]

The only other one like it would be the Titanic's transfer ship the SS Nomadic.

[@1339LARS]

LJ!!!!!!!!

[@stargazer4358]

Wish someone would care as much for the SS united States

[@raymondhutchinson7156]

Cruise ships didn't start to exist until the 1930s after immigration died down due to legal changes. Ships like Titanic were ocean liners which is not the same thing as Cruise ships.Ocean liners were faster than Cruise ships and were the equivalent of Grey hound buses of thier day.They were called Ocean Line-ers because they traveled more or less in a straight line between continents carrying immigrants and business class.They were on tight reliable time schedules thus why they were fast

[@kellybrown8638]

Great Lakes cruises were designed to appeal to MIDDLE CLASS people from the Central States/Provinces

[@robertcornelius3514]

Will this ship also be sunk by a torpedo I wonder.

[@VilldoesOfficial]

Cruise ships were not a thing in 1912, snd titanic was a oceanliner

[@SillyPuddy2012]

I like the policy that service staff should not be seen. Not that they’re inhuman or anything, but their tasks are disruptive to the guest experience. I see hotel staff today ambling around the property with laundry carts and looking at their phones and it’s just tacky. This old world service is a lot art.

[@asylumlover]

SHIP SHIP, HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@stevemartin6144]

Too bad that you don't know how to pronounce "Keewatin". Laughable when this is your sole topic! There is a street of the same name in Toronto. I have an original photo of the S. S. Keewatin going full tilt taken by my uncle in the 1930s. A gem! Good God! Even the museum curator can't pronounce "Keewatin"? KEE WAH TIN. Get it?

[@davegommer101]

Their last adventure was a flop.Heres hopeing they do better this time

[@keith3970]

Built by Africans in Uganda.

[@kevinbirge2130]

When the psy-op eased…not pandemic.

[@windowcreek1798]

Its sad you cant even pronounce the name of the ship. Its pronounced KEE WAH TIN. Get it right. Cheers.

[@Tugela60]

Wrong! It is pronounced "ICE BURG". Get it right. Cheers.

[@russellstewart5414]

The museum curator pronounced it with a hard A . So they are the people that should know how to pronounce the name of the ship.

[@KeyboardBuster]

0:13 is that a shemale?? Goddamn I hate the future. Somebody put me back in the fridge.

[@KosherFinance]

Scrap that crap