USA: Douglas Dredging Project About to Begin

Prior to leaving Douglas in June, dredging around the Keewatin is about to start as part of the preparation work on the ship.

The owner of the 350-foot-long ship, R.J. Peterson sold it to Gil Blutrich, Chairman and president of Skyline International Development Inc., a private Canadian investment and management company, on Wednesday.

Blutrich is planning to have the ship towed from Douglas to Port McNicoll, Ontario, where it will be part of a renovated waterfront and tourist attraction.

The $3 million project includes the purchase of the ship and renovations at its new home in Canada planned to begin is spring.

The project will also incorporate dredging a path from the dock to the channel in the Kalamazoo River so that the ship could be towed into Lake Michigan in June.

Peterson brought the Keewatin to Douglas in 1967. The ship was built in 1907 and carried cargo and passengers for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

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Dredging Today Staff, December 1, 2011;