MS CHI-CHEEMAUN With a name that comes from the Ojibwe word for “big canoe”, the Chi-Cheemaun ferry has been a staple of Georgian Bay for over forty years. During that time, we’ve proudly introduced passengers to the rich Aboriginal heritage and natural beauty of the region.

Ontario Northland Ferry Service
M.S. Chi-Cheemaun

The Big Canoe
M.S. Chi-Cheemaun

Take tons of heavy metal, 85,000 vehicles and 220,000 passengers and you've got the Chi-Cheemaun, 966 departures later. A trip aboard the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun is a long-standing Great Lakes tradition dating back to the 1930's when a small, wooden vessel, the Kagawong, first ferried automobiles across the waters of Georgian Bay between Tobermory and South Baymouth. As described by Ontario Northland, the $12 million Chi-Cheemaun is the "largest, most modern vessel ever built for ferry service on the Great Lakes." It features drive-on, drive-off bow and stern loading and unloading through a visored bow system and a square door stern section. The ship is 365 feet long with a 62 foot beam and has capacity for 638 passengers and 113 vehicles, including room for 17 highway vehicles such as buses and transport trucks. The ship is powered by two Ruston 3500 horse power diesel engines and an 800 horse power "bow thruster" engine which improves the handling of the vessel at slow speeds. The addition of two mezza-nine decks in 1982 increased the ship's vehicle carrying capacity to 143.