THUNDER BAY - Hopes that the Alexander Henry would welcome the public for tours this fall have suffered a setback.
As Charlie Brown, president of the Lakehead Museum Transportation Society, explained on Tuesday, "Hope springs eternal but unfortunately, it didn't come in this time."
Last month, Brown spoke with guarded optimism about the chances for lawyers to hammer out the details of a lease for the Pool 6 dock in time to move the boat from her temporary mooring at the former CN ore dock by the end of August.
"What's happening right now is that we're caught up between the legalese for the lease agreement. It's in the hands of the city lawyers, the Port Authority lawyers, and we have a lawyer as well. And we have not got a lease."
In an interview with Tbnewswatch.com, Brown said the tentative date for completing the lease is the end of September, meaning the former icebreaking vessel can't be towed to Pool 6 until the first or second week of October.
"We'll still have all of our inspections and hookups to do (then). Basically, we're going to lose the season," he said.
Brown called the situation frustrating and disappointing.
"It is what it is. We have been very successful in bringing the ship back. Hopefully, we will be up and running in the spring with a grand opening, and we'll be having enough time to make sure the ship is in great shape for the public next year."
