Celebrating the Segwun

125th birthday party kicks off Canada Day weekend

AIR ANTICS. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be bringing their high-flying air acrobatics to Muskoka on June 29 at 3:45 p.m. as part of the 125-year celebration for the Segwun. Photo courtesy of DND, MCpl Robert Bottrill

GRAVENHURST — A Muskoka icon is reaching its 125th anniversary this year.
The RMS Segwun has been serving the region for over 100 years now and to celebrate the occasion, the Real Muskoka Experience has an action-packed weekend planned.
Scheduled for Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30, the celebrations centre around the Segwun’s home port, the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst. A variety of events including a parade through town and a live performance by Survivorman TV star Les Stroud are planned.
Cathy Tait, director of sales, marketing and fundraising for the Real Muskoka Experience, believes the event is about more than just an old ship.
“It’s a celebration of why we’re here, why the region was settled originally and the significance of these ships to Muskoka,” Tait said. “It’s to really celebrate an icon that is so well recognized and is right in our own backyard.”
The Segwun is the sole survivor out of the 21 steamships that used to travel through the Muskoka waterways delivering mail and cottagers to homes and cottages back when land-based travel in the region was unreliable.
The celebration kicks off with a parade on Friday, June 29 at 1 p.m. starting from Gull Lake Park in Gravenhurst. From there it will travel along Bay Street to Muskoka Wharf. The parade will include floats from local businesses, the Ontario Fire College Pipe Band, the Shriners Club on their mini-bikes and, of course, the Segwun float.
Once arriving at Muskoka Wharf the celebrations will continue throughout the afternoon with live performances, face painting, a presentation from the Muskoka Wildlife Centre and a 3:45 p.m. flyby tribute from the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
Tait said that the Segwun is deserving of such a large scale celebration because of its iconic status in the region and the important part it plays in the cottage experience.
“Many people have stories of grandparents and great-grandparents who either worked on one of the ships or they remember being at their family cottage and watching the ships go by — that’s significant,” Tait explained. “It’s like a retrieval cue for many people. It brings back all those memories and their family history.”
For people looking to experience a little of what it would have been like to travel to their cottage 100 years ago, the festivities on Saturday, June 30 provide the opportunity.
Throughout the day, one-hour cruises on the Segwun will be available for the cost of a voluntary donation. This is the first time there hasn’t been an official admission fee to travel aboard the Segwun. Once on board the ship, the cruisers will be entertained by host “Charlie Chaplin.”
For those who would rather stay on land, the celebration will continue with a wide range of activities planned including games and crafts from the YMCA and a building workshop from the Home Depot. There’s also a barbecue and live music all day headlined by Les Stroud and the Campfire Kings — a band headed by the star of the popular Survivorman show.
Based on previous celebrations for the Segwun, the 125-year birthday for the ship will be a very popular event. In 1987, the Segwun centenary drew more than 5,000 people including then lieutenant-governor of Ontario, the Honourable Lincoln Alexander.
For more information on the celebrations including a complete list and timeline for the events visit segwun.com.

Small - Large
|
Print
|
Email
|
|