S.S. Theano one of the first four vessels purchased in 1900.

At the time of the opening of the new coal dock in Michipicoten in 1929 there were only three ships remaining in Algoma Central's fleet. The Great Depression was immediately upon the land and it wasn't until the spring of 1939 that ore shipments resumed from Michipicoten harbour at the rebuilt dock. This time is was sinter that was shipped to Algoma Steel.

M.V. Algowest departing locks, downbound, at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.1991
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario appears in the background.

Major changes in the Marine Division took place in the years following the opening of the St.Lawrence Seaway in 1959. A large fleet of ships was acquired, many built by Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd. in Collingwood with concentration on maximum Seaway-size self-unloading bulk carriers. Year after year this fleet was modernized and added to. In 1974 there were 9 ships handling bulk cargo, including grain, iron ore, limestone, salt, sand and coal. In 1978 there were 15 ships and by the end of 1994 (when the railway was sold off) the fleet had grown by acquisition and new construction to 24 ships.

Grain was handled from Thunder Bay and Duluth, Minnesota to Montreal, Quebec City, Baie Comeau and Port Cartier. Ships then went "in ballast" (deadhead) to nearby Point Noire and Sept. Iles to load iron ore for Lake Erie USA ports, following which they were in ballast to Thunder Bay or Duluth again.

Salt from Goderich and Windsor went to Canadian ports as well as Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay etc. Returning with coal and bentonite clay from Wyoming by rail to Point Noire where the bentonite was used to bind ore pellets. Sand was carried to Hamilton and Windsor for foundries. There was also limestone from the US. Coal from Ashtabula and Conneaut, Ohio to Thunder Bay for the Ontario Hydro generation plant.

Iron ore also came from the Steep Rock mine in Northern Ontario, beginning in July 1945, via the CNR to Thunder Bay where ACR ships such as the Algoway (with a crew of 29) loaded 16,000 tons of it.

Tonnage handled increased repeatedly as more and more ships were added and other operators taken over.
In 1971 it was up 36% at 8,160, 080 tons (ore +24%, coal & coke +77%, grain +53%, other +28%) In 1975 the total was up 22% at 10,344,000 tons. 1994's total was a record 24,714,000 tonnes.

Unfortunately, ship building in Collingwood and elsewhere in Canada has ended. Never the less, the Marine Group remains an important shipping operation still owned by Algoma Central Corporation years after it sold off the railway and other parts of its operations.

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