THUNDER BAY — City and area residents will get a chance this summer to board a tall ship.
St. Lawrence II will stop in Thunder Bay on Canada Day as it makes a tour of the Great Lakes.
The 72-year-old, 72-foot brigantine is operated by Tall Ship Expeditions Canada, a youth-focused charitable organization that delivers experiential outdoor education programs.
It's been to Thunder Bay on one previous occasion, in 2022, but tours were not available to the public in that instance.
"There's an event in Duluth, and that gave us a good excuse to head back up to Thunder Bay," said Chris Chafe, executive-director of the Kingston-based organization.
While it's docked at Marina Park, members of the public will be invited to go on deck between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Canada Day, and again on July 19 during the same hours.
There will be no admission charge.
As a Transport Canada-certified sail training vessel, St. Lawrence ll does not carry passengers unless they sign on as part of the crew.
"The expectation is that you'll take part, you're not a bystander," Chafe said. "In the summer we run a peer-led program...so half the people on the boat are crew and half are participants. It's pretty much 50/50, so about 12 crew and 12 participants."
The organization also operates tall ship adventure camps for adults, including an expedition that will take the vessel from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay via the Slate Islands, starting on June 22 and finishing on July 1.
A youth adventure camp, for participants between 13 and 18, will see the boat sailing from Thunder Bay to Duluth between July 4 and July 10, with a second camp scheduled for Duluth to Thunder Bay from July 13 to July 18.
"We're hoping to get a good cross-border connection with youth from both the Thunder Bay area and the Duluth area," Chafe said.
On July 20, a different group of young people will depart Thunder Bay for an 11-day voyage to Sault Ste. Marie.
There are fees to participate, but Chafe said bursaries and sponsorships may be available.
