THUNDER BAY -- The Lakehead Transportation Museum Society (LTMS) has received permission to start preparing the former Pool Six grain terminal site for the docking of the Alexander Henry.
It's likely to be well into September before the retired Great Lakes icebreaker is made available for public tours after it's towed from its temporary berth, just to the south at the old CNR ore dock.
Charlie Brown, president of the LTMS, says the group got authorization from the city on Friday to begin site preparation and board members have wasted no time getting started.
"What we need to do right now is pretty basic. Cut some grass, which I am going to do this afternoon, moving some fence line, and we're going to be hanging some tires for buffers for the ship itself in the next little while along the docking facility," Brown told Tbnewswatch.com on Tuesday.
He said the city Parks department has already been to the site to clean up the cruise-ship area "on the lower side" of the property, and did a good job.
The Alexander Henry will also need an electrical connection.
"The ship itself has a huge umbilical cord, and we're going to hook it up to a power source on a pole beside the Pool Six site. It's primarily just for the lighting on the ship."
Brown said there is no fixed date yet for moving the ship over from the ore dock. But he said if the ship can be berthed at Pool Six by the end of August, that should pave the way for public visits by mid-to-late September.
When it will be relocated is dependent on finalizing a lease for the site, through negotiations involving the LMTS, the City of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Port Authority.
Brown said some cleaning on board the vessel has already been done, but a more intensive effort involving more volunteers will be required later for chores such as power-washing.
"The rooms themselves on the upper levels are in very good shape actually, but they probably do need things like carpet-cleaning," he added.
