The S.S. Norisle was the first passenger steamship built in Canada after World War II.  The name "Norisle" is derived from "NOR", a contraction of the northern region of Lake Huron and "ISLE", referring to Manitoulin Island.

Built at the Collingwood Shipyards in 1946, the Norisle, a hand-fired, coal-burning steamship provided regular seasonal passenger ferry services from 1947 to 1974 between Tobermory (on the Bruce Peninsula) and South Baymouth (on Manitoulin Island).

The Norisle measures 215'9" in length, has beam of 36'3" and a draft of 16 feet.  The ship was designed to carry 200 passengers and up to 50 vehicles - she featured 58 staterooms that provided for overnight accommodations.  Her extremely rare 1,000HP triple expansion compound steam engine could establish a cruising speed of 10 knots and a top speed of 12 knots.

The Norisle was retired from service in 1974 and later purchased by the Township of Assiginack in 1975 (for the sum of $1.00) to serve as a floating marine museum and tourist attraction for the community of Manitowaning (now berthed at Bay Street Marina).  Over the years, the ship has provided thousands of visitors with a "hands-on" interpretation of what earlier marine transportation was like on the Great Lakes.  Most recently, she also served as a training ground and summer camp for the Sudbury based Navy League and Sea Cadets.

The S.S. Norisle is one of the few remaining steamships of its kind in Canada.  Manitowaning was her first and last Port of Call. 

Please visit the S.S. Norisle Steamship Society (Friends of the Norisle) website at www.norisle.com to view the latest news and to read about the S.S. Norisle Refit Project.
 

Click the following hyperlinks to view copies of original diagrams of the S.S. Norisle:

#1 Norisle Elevation Diagram

#2 Norisle Upper & Lower Deck Diagram