North America’s oldest operating hand-fired steamship, the RMS Segwun, is set to hit the water this Labour Day, following extensive upgrades and repairs that will keep the historic ship docked for the summer sailing season.
In early October 2025, the ship’s season was cut short after a damaged furnace component was discovered. At the time, Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre (MSDC) president, John Miller, told Cottage Life the Centre was applying for funding to embark on a larger restoration. If secured, the RMS Segwun could sail for another 25 years without major restorative work, he said.
On January 30, it was announced funding had been acquired. MSDC is receiving $830,875 from the province, via the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). The money will go towards upgrades and repairs, including structural wood replacement, weatherproofing, engine room upgrades, and mechanical restorations intended to increase the RMS Segwun’s passenger capacity and keep her running safely and smoothly.
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“Provincial funding for the Segwun Restoration Project is a commitment to safeguarding our shared heritage, strengthening local jobs and tourism, and ensuring that this provincial tourism icon continues to serve future generations,” said Miller in the press release. “Quite simply, we would not be able to undertake a project of this scale and importance without this invaluable provincial support.”
Additionally, MSDC is receiving $500,000 to modernize its interpretive hall and install the Love Muskoka, Sustain Muskoka interactive exhibit, which will promote environmental sustainability, climate change awareness, cultural diversity, and Indigenous knowledge, according to the release.
The RMS Segwun was built in 1887 in Glasgow, Scotland, and assembled in Gravenhurst as the Nipissing II. For decades, the ship serviced the increasingly populated Muskoka Lakes, transporting passengers, mail, and freight that arrived at Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst. She was taken out of service at the outset of the First World War, but relaunched with a new engine and body in July 1925 as the Segwun, or “Springtime” in Ojibwa.
Last year, she celebrated her 100th birthday as the Segwun, during which time she has served as a mail and passenger ship, a floating maritime museum, and finally, a historic cruise boat. Now tourists come from far and wide to board her decks and experience the bygone era of steamship travel in the Muskoka lakes.
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