Norgoma volunteers implore City Council to save their ship

The volunteer board of St. Mary's River Marine Heritage Centre has launched an online petition aimed at persuading City Council to drop the eviction notice it served earlier this year on the M.S. Norgoma.

"We... implore City Council to reverse its decision to terminate the berthing rights and support the Norgoma's endeavours to be an exciting home of history, culture and community," says the petition, which was posted Tuesday.

On April 23, councillors voted to end the museum ship’s berthing rights at Roberta Bondar Marina effective Aug. 31.

The last packet ship built for the Great Lakes has been a fixture on the Sault waterfront for the past 43 years.

Many see it the 68-year-old former passenger ferry as an important artifact of our marine heritage.

Others, including Mayor Christian Provenzano, see only an eyesore.

"It's a long time. That boat has to go," the mayor told a City Council meeting last September, indicating he wanted the rusting boat towed out of Roberta Bondar Marina, clear out of downtown Sault Ste. Marie.

"We, the undersigned do support the M.S. Norgoma in its entirety and do wish that it stay in its current, and well deserved berth at Roberta Bondar Marina as a tourist attraction, symbol of Sault Ste. Marie's history, culture and heritage, as well as a monument to the significant federal government-mandated historical event of packets travelling the Turkey Trail," states the petition drafted by the board of St. Mary's River Marine Heritage Centre, which has owned the Norgoma since 1981.

As of 10 p.m. tonight, 167 supporters had signed the document, which states it's seeking 3,000 signatures.

"The petition is a response to community requests," William Hollingshead, a volunteer curator and member of the marine centre board, tells SooToday.

"Lots of people have been coming in and asking how they could help, support the ship or make their opinion heard."

Late last month. Sean Meades of NORDIK Institute completed a pro bono strategic plan for the Norgoma.

Meades' report serves as both a feasibility study and business plan, setting out how Norgoma volunteers can engage better with the community and generate revenue, as well as options for relocating the ship, complete with goals and timelines, Hollingshead said.

"We have been evicted by the city, so we do have to consider relocation as our primary option at this point."

"But with current fundraising opportunities, community partnerships, events, admission by donation, pay-what-you-can and extended evening hours, we hope that we can change some of the negative opinion on the Norgoma," Hollingshead told us.

In recent weeks, the ship has become a new base for programming that used to take place at Gore Street Cafe, which was forced out by its landlord at the end of June.

Nicole Dyble, the cafe's owner, is now offering musical and other events at the Norgoma under the Dryer Fire name.

Norgoma volunteers are still in talks with a number of groups about the possibility of moving the boat.

City officials are expected to extend the Aug. 31 deadline to mid-September to better accommodate their plan to remove and replace the marina's wooden docks. 

"We working with the city to talk about any possible options to lessen the load of the impending deadline," Hollingshead said.

Even if the city stands firm on its eviction notice, "we're hoping that we can come up with some sort of a solution if it comes to that," he said.

The volunteers are talking to both local and out-of-town groups about moving the Norgoma.

Hollingshead says the out-of-town groups are all in Algoma or the Greater Sudbury area.