June 10, 2021.
We would love to be able to give you a tour of S.S. Keewatin!
Imagine walking through that beautifully appointed dining room, with tables laid, ready for a seating. Or sensing the awesome power of that massive three-story high steam engine as it rolls over. Or experiencing the sensation at a stateroom door as you visualize yourself as a passenger, decades earlier. It is all still here, for now.
With the promise of donating KEEWATIN to our charity in this community… her historical home port… the ship’s owner encouraged hundreds of volunteers to contribute tens of thousands of hours over seven years to restore, maintain and operate her as an historical attraction. We have been looking forward to hosting tours again.
But right now that is impossible. And it is not only the pandemic that will keep us closed once again this year. KEEWATIN’s owner has, inexplicably, decided to renege on its promises, announced its intention to donate her to another charity in a distant city in return for a tax benefit from Canadian Heritage, and locked us out.
We don’t think it would be right for Canadians to pay KEEWATIN’s owner to gift our work to
a different organization, let alone one in a community with no historical connection to the ship.
It looks like there are thousands who agree with us. Our MP will be raising the issue with the Minister, and an independent community group has taken up our cause. Voice your support at https://keepkeewatinhome.ca
Meanwhile, without tours of the ship the charity has been without revenue. We are all unpaid volunteers, and have cut expenses to the bone, but there are still bills to pay. Help us survive at https://sskeewatin.com/donate
We would like to keep you informed about our struggle to have what’s right prevail, and the future for both KEEWATIN and the village of Port McNicoll. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://sskeewatin.com/subscribe
If your club is looking for a guest speaker, our Communications Director would be pleased to conduct a Virtual Guided Tour Online using your meeting application. Request a presentation at https://sskeewatin.com/speaker
S.S. KEEWATIN: Steel & Steam is a collector’s memorabilia compendium full of pictures and information plus a treatise on steamships and original and reproduction souvenirs. Get our book at https://sskeewatin.com/shop
We intend to defeat both the pandemic and this threatened betrayal of our trust, and Keep Keewatin Home.
Thank you for your support. Please share this message. Get PDF version
Wayne Coombes
President
