The M.S. Chi-Cheemaun has docked in Owen Sound until next spring, after the fall repositioning cruise brought over 450 people from Tobermory on Monday. Participants enjoyed some fantastic scenery on a cool fall day, along with lunch, entertainment and even some fundraising.
Carl Kuhnke, president of the Owen Sound Transportation Company, said they'll spend the winter preparing for 2024, which will be a challenging season when it comes to recruitment.
"The industry across Canada has the same problem. The demographics of both shore-based and ship-based mariners is a very difficult situation all across Canada," said Kuhnke. "New Brunswick ferries, BC ferries, the Ontario government's own ferries. They run eight of their own, including the ones we run for them, and we're all having trouble getting crew. It's very, very difficult."
He said the Chi-Cheemaun has been fortunate to hire seasonal staff from Newfoundland, but many of them are set to retire.
"We have a really dedicated, long-standing (some of them over 40 years) seasonal crew that comes from Newfoundland in huge convoys of RVs and trucks and they spend all summer at their RV spots in Tobermory and work all summer on the ship and then they head back to Newfoundland. And that's probably 60 per cent of our total crew," he explained. "We're guessing that 25 per cent or more of our Newfoundland crew has probably sailed their last summer because some of them are well into their 60s and they are going to start retiring."
Kuhnke added the local ferry service between the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island will need to get creative when it comes to recruiting summer employees.
"In 2024, we're going to be going into all kinds of new recruitment events. They're not poorly paid positions. Our people at the terminals and on the ship start at, you know, $24 to $25 an hour," he pointed out.
Kuhnke said they hope to increase the number of dining cruises next year as the ferry marks its 50th year in service next September. The first cruise of 2024 will take place during the ferry's repositioning trip back to Tobermory next spring.
"So we have the repositioning cruises, but we're hoping to do at least two and possibly three special cruises in 2024," continued Kuhnke. "The specialty dining cruises will be sold out, I'm sure. 450 or 500 people and you get fine dining, and entertainment. When we do these, we have a charity, just as we are doing this year for repositioning cruise, because our charity this year is the GRACE riding Academy."
This year's cruise supported GRACE, the Georgian Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians, which works closely with children and adults in Grey and Bruce Counties. In all, the organization raised $4,906.75.
The Chi-cheemaun offers an alternate route to Northern Ontario, by taking passengers and cars between Tobermory and South Bay Mouth on Manitoulin island.