FREIGHT/CARGO
IT TOOK TIME TO LOAD AND UNLOAD FREIGHT AT EACH STOP ALONG THE TURKEY TRAIL. THE PURSER WOULD GO ASHORE, SET UP A SMALL TABLE ON THE DOCK, AND KEEP TRACK OF THE FREIGHT,AS IT WAS OFF-LOADED.
During this time, the ship’s passengers could stretch their legs, or stay on board and watch as barrels and boxes, cows, horses, crates of chickens and automobiles were disgorged from the Norgoma’s spacious hold. On the last trip of the season, in mid-to-late November, the Norgoma would be heavily loaded with supplies to last through the long winter.
The Norgoma carried:
14,000 tons of freight in 1951. By 1963 the Norgoma’s last year as a cargo ship, the freight had dropped dramatically. On one of the final trips, the freight consisted of a single roll of garden hose.
Norgoma's Cargo
The cargo included everything people needed for everyday life.
The cargo included:
- food, fresh vegetables, soft drinks in wooden cases, fruits, flour, salt, sugar
- hardware, farm implements, building supplies
- fuel, coal, kerosene, and gasoline and
- cars that were lowered into the ship's hold by means of an elevator - everything one could get on a shopping trip in the big cities to the south.
- The hold was filled with drums, barrels, sacks, wooden boxes, cardboard boxes, kegs and cages.
- Livestock was a major cargo. As many as 100 cattle might be carried to livestock sales at Little Current.
- A case of butter was unloaded at Killarney general store
- a horse-drawn hay rake and a complete set of household furnishings, including the stove, was carried from Cockburn Island to Thessalon
- a large number of new fish boxes were loaded at Gore Bay for delivery to Owen Sound, according to James Berry.
Return trips cargo included:
- fresh lake trout and whitefish packed in crushed ice, 100 pounds of fish to each wooden box.
- Also southbound from Sault Ste. Marie would be consignments of livestock, lumber, farm produce and additional loads of fish picked up at ports on Manitoulin Island and at Killarney.
- Life stock was a major cargo. It was not unusual every autumn to load up to a hundred cattle at Meldrum Bay or Gore Bay for delivery to the regular cattle sales at Little Current or ports beyond. Manitoulin Island was also, for a period of time following World War II, an exporter of turkeys, hence the name Turkey Trail.
Cruises were introduced to the Norgoma when there was no more need for delivering cargo.
Next a typical Cruise on the Norgoma
Visitors
276542
Passengers stretching their legs while cargo is dealt with.
LINKS
LINKS TO SPARK YOUR INTEREST IN SHIPS, CANADA, ONTARIO AND THE ALGOMA AREA.
EVENTS OCCURRING IN AND AROUND THE NORGOMA
- Canada's Site-
- The City of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario-What to do in Sault Ste. Marie
- Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Association
- Tourism Sault Ste. Marie-
Norgoma as a Museum Ship at Ontario Museum Ship Association
MS Norgoma is one of the local attractions
- Ontario Parks-Fish Sculpture with Norgoma in the background
- Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center
- Explore the Norgoma as it appears on Google Maps
- Ermatinger, Clergue National Historic Site (Old Stone House)
- Great Places in Canada includes the Norgoma
- CTV News-Views of the Sault by Heather Ingram
- Sault Star-The Norgoma was one of Ontario Ferries
- Local 2 Sault Ste. Marie, news,
- events etc.-Tripadvicer
- Art Gallery of Algoma
OTHER SHIPS
- Algoma University
- Fire aboard the Noronic Video of the fire
- Anniversary video of Noronic fire
- Algoma University Archives-
- The Norgoma and the Hub Trail
- Sault College-Haunted House on the Norgoma
- Environmental Writer photographer James Smedley
- Museum Ship Ontario Museum
- Wikipedia Description of the Norgoma-St Mary's River Marine Historical Society
- Great Lakes Marine Collection
- The Norgoma the Last Passenger Service for passenger steamer for Great Lake service
- Remember this? Steaming Ahead on the Turkey Trail-