Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes

Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes
Name	Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes
Established	1981
Location	Port Arthur, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Type	Maritime museum

Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes is a museum located in Port Arthur, Thunder Bay, Ontario, dedicated to the history, archaeology, and preservation of Great Lakes shipping, shipbuilding, and marine culture. The museum interprets regional narratives that connect Hudson's Bay Company fur trade routes, Canadian Pacific Railway transshipment, and Ontario Northland Railway freight with maritime events like the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking, and the development of Port Arthur, Ontario. Exhibits emphasize links to industrial firms such as Algoma Steel, shipyards like Bath Iron Works (for comparative context), and maritime institutions including the Canadian Coast Guard.

History

The museum originated from local preservation efforts by volunteers associated with the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society and municipal initiatives in the late 20th century, reflecting wider heritage trends tied to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Its founding paralleled other regional institutions such as the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston and the Canadian Museum of History. Early collections included artifacts rescued from wrecks investigated by divers linked to the Underwater Archaeology Branch and donations from families of schooner crews and laker mariners who had served with companies including Canada Steamship Lines and Nicholson Terminal and Warehousing Company. The museum's evolution intersects with provincial policies from Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Recreation and federal funding programs influenced by the Heritage Canada Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Collections and Exhibits

Collections span ship models, maritime paintings, navigation instruments, and corporate archives from firms such as Algoma Central Corporation, Dominion Foundries and Steel Company, and Canadair-era suppliers. Exhibits feature artifacts related to notable vessels including the PS Norah Creina (for comparative Great Lakes paddle steamer history), the SS Keewatin context, and interpretive materials about the S.S. Kamloops and the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. Rotating displays have included material culture tied to Anishinaabe lake commerce, Hudson Bay routes, and immigrant transport connected to CP Ships. The museum displays charts produced by the Canadian Hydrographic Service and navigational aids used by mariners from Lake Superior ports, and curates archival records from the Port of Thunder Bay and ship registries like those of Lloyd's Register.

Shipwrecks and Archaeology

The museum is active in documenting wrecks across Lake Superior, working with diving groups and academic partners such as researchers from Lakehead University and the Great Lakes Maritime Institute. Notable wreck-related projects reference the SS Edmund Fitzgerald investigations by Robert F. McGhee-style maritime archaeologists and comparative studies with sites like the Nestor and the Gunilda. The museum collaborates with organizations including the Nautical Archaeology Society and underwater survey teams that use technologies from NOAA-style sonar operations, drawing parallels with research at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Archaeological stewardship aligns with provincial legislation under the Ontario Heritage Act and federal protocols used by the Parks Canada underwater archaeology program.

Education and Programs

Educational programs target school groups collaborating with local school boards such as the Lakehead District School Board and cultural partners including the Ontario Arts Council and Heritage Toronto for comparative programming. Curriculum-linked tours reference regional history subjects like the Fur Trade era, Sault Ste. Marie shipping corridors, and industrial histories of Fort William and Port Arthur that tie into provincial social studies standards. Public programs have featured lectures by historians connected to institutions such as Canadian War Museum scholars, workshops with master shipwrights influenced by traditions in Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and community events hosted with the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.

Research and Conservation

The museum undertakes conservation of wooden timbers, metal hull fragments, and archival documents in collaboration with conservation laboratories at Royal Ontario Museum and scientific partners at University of Toronto departments studying materials science and corrosion. Research projects examine ship construction techniques comparable to those used at Quinlan Shipyards and steel procurement tied to Algoma Steel and Dofasco records. The institution contributes to peer-reviewed literature with researchers linking maritime labor history to unions like the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Association and labor studies undertaken at York University.

Facilities and Operations

Facilities include gallery spaces, a conservation lab, archival storage that meets standards from the Canadian Conservation Institute, and exhibit fabrication resources comparable to those at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Operations coordinate with the City of Thunder Bay heritage planning office, volunteers from local chapters of the Royal Canadian Legion, and tourism organizations such as Destination Thunder Bay and Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation. The museum participates in regional networks including the Great Lakes Historical Society and works with transport infrastructure stakeholders like the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to interpret shipping logistics.

Category:Museums in Thunder Bay District Category:Maritime museums in Canada