Saltie-Laker KAMINISTIQUA (Revisited, again)

At our 'Top Secret' viewing spot along the St. Lawrence River west of Morrisburg on July 19, 2012, we got to see the gearless bulk carrier KAMINISTIQUA pass us by 'real close'. Good luck trying to pronounce her name. I tried to Google and Wikipedia the background of the name and the closest I came to was 'Kaministiguia', a Northern Ontario river and an Ojibwe word that means 'river of islands'. Apparently there are two large islands at its mouth in Thunder Bay before emptying into Lake Superior. Whether KAMINISTIQUA is a name that is purposely spelled wrong or not, is doesn't matter to me because though looking a little rough, she was pushing hard against the flow of this river just fine.

Regardless, she was known as SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER when she went into service in 1983 for Pioneer Shipping of Winnipeg, a subsidiary of J. Richardson & Sons and Misener Transportation. She was built in Scotland along with her identical Misener sisters, SELKIRK SETTLER, & CANADA MARQUIS, http://carlzboats.blogspot.ca/2013/09/saltie-laker-canada-marquis.html each were designed to service the grain and ore trades in the Great Lakes, and switch to salt water operation in the 3 month off season, hence the term 'Saltie-Laker'.

Also previously named VOYAGEUR PIONEER and LADY HAMILTON  the 29 year old KAMINISTIQUA is 730' long and is currently owned by Lower Lakes Towing Company of Port Dover, Ontario. Though the obviously hardworking lady motored along quite well to Iroquois Lock and beyond on this mid-summer day, her owner could afford to pay some attention to her rustic appearance. Just a suggestion.

Update - April 10, 2020:

While the upbound former saltie-laker still looked pretty rough when she passed our picnic table at Loyalist Park on May 19, 2013, the KAMINISTIQUA did get some TLC (Tender Living Care) and a new coat of paint while wintering at Erie, Pennsylvania's  DonJon Shipbuilding in 2014. When passing through so many St. Lawrence Seaway locks, the wearing look doesn't take long to return, like when I caught her at the grain terminal at the Port of Johnstown on April 23, 2016.

However due to an unfortunate incident on November 27th when she touched bottom near Beauharnois, the KAMINISTIQUA spent this winter at the former Port Weller Drydocks, in St. Catharines where her hull was repaired by Hamilton's Heddle Marine and she was given a fresh coat of paint to boot. Oh YAAA!! Even after passing through seven Welland Canal locks and approach walls today, the upbound classic stern-ender looks amazing and good to go for many more years in these photos by Nathan Attard in Port Colborne, taken this afternoon. Great shoots and thanks again Nathan 👍📷👍

BTW, to view thousands of Great Lakes ship photos both modern and vintage, be sure to checkout https://www.shiphotos.com . You'll be Glad You Did!!

UPDATE - April 19, 2026:

After almost 20 years of operating on the Great Lakes with her classy Lower Lakes Towing livery and unique indigenous warrior emblem on their stacks, the Port Dover based company was sold to St. Catharines based Algoma Central Corporation during this winter. The acquisition includes all of LLT's six lakers: KAMINISTIQUA,  MANITOULIN, ,SAGINAW,  ROBERT S.  PIERSON MICHIPICOTEN and the AMERICAN VALOR which is currently in the long term layup and named VALO. Though the 2026 Great Lakes shipping season is underway, much of the previous LLT fleet remains in winter layup with the exception of the 663' converted in 2015 forward-mounted self unloader MANITOULIN which has since been purchased by Burlington-based McKeil Marine, and the 730' gearless bulk carrier KAMINISTIQUA which is currently loaded with prairie grain while bound for Sorel-Tracy. Like in Nathan Attard's stern photo taken yesterday in Port Colborne, the  KAMINISTIQUA is still adorning the classic looking Lower Lakes Towing Company livery for this season at least, but the Algoma Central colours and bear are now displayed on her stack. What's one more colour-scheme change, on a hardworking girl that's displayed a few others during her 33 years of being useful. Check'm out 👀...

SASKATCHEWAN PIONEER in Pioneer Shipping colours in the Welland Canal in this Jeff Cameron photo on May 26, 1988...

...her look while working with Montreal-based Fednav and named LADY HAMILTON in this late Jim Hoffman photo of her also in the Welland Canal in September 2001....

....VOYAGEUR PIONEER in Ridgeville, Ontario based Voyageur Marine Transportation livery on the Welland Canal on July 28, 2007 in this Jeff Cameron photo.

Catch more great photos of her and others at https://www.shiphotos.com . Thanks again for sharing Jeff Cameron.