Excerpt from Muskoka Steamships: In 1887, long before the era of modern highways, the R.M.S. Segwun was built in Glasgow, Scotland, and assembled in Gravenhurst. The ship was originally a side paddlewheel steamer named "Nipissing II" and served as a connection - transporting passengers, mail, and freight from Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst to cottages, resorts and homes that were beginning to populate the Muskoka Lakes. In 1925, the ship was re-launched and given her Ojibwa name: Segwun, meaning "springtime". Her mainden voyage took place on July 9, 1925. The new steamer proved to be the fastest of the ships on the lakes, continuing her service to Canada Post and many visitors to the area. By 1958, with mail delivery taking more land routes, Segwun made her last trip and was decommissioned. In 1962 Segwun was converted into a floating maritime museum at Gravenhurst Wharf and thus escaped deconstruction. After further rrestoration, Segwun began her new career in 1981 as a cruise ship on the Muskoka Lakes. As the sole survivor of the fleet, she continues to hold status with Canada Post as an official "Royal Mail Ship". Each summer she attracts thousands of tourists to Muskoka enabling passengers to see the beauty of Muskoka as it should be seen, by water, as she proudly plies the Muskoka Lakes representing the elegance, style and heritage of Muskoka's past. As North America's oldest operating hand-fired steamship, the R.M.S. Segwun is the recognized symbol of Muskoka with many believing that her haunting whistle sounds out as the official "heartbeat" which awakens the region each spring.
Wenonah II-built and launched in May of 2002 with all the style and grace of a 1907 Muskoka vessel, Wenonah II offers a variety of cruises on all three of the Kuskoka Lakes. The ship combines turn-of-the-century charm with modrn conveniences including air-conditioning and an on-board elevator.
Loading contexts...