Thunder Bay Ore Dock

[Guest]

After lengthening, the Philip D. Block was only 8 feet shorter than the Sykes but 10 feet narrower. From this image it looks like the hatches on the Block extend closer to each side of the hull in comparison to the ship at the Thunder Bay ore dock. The image from the Mackinac Bridge also shows a different after cabin arrangement between the two ships. The book "The Inland Steel Fleet" covers the lengthening and modernization of the Philip D. Block during the 1950s.

[garbear]

Wasn't there a businessman from Thunder Bay who was going to work the iron mines in the Thunder Bay area and also take over the ore dock and rehab it? Can't remember where I read it. Probably was on this page within the past 5 yrs. or less.

[BigRiver]

100 pct confident it is the Sykes

[garbear]

I don't have a Facebook account so it wasn't me that posted it on there. Although the Philip D. Block had a very similar pilothouse to the Wilfred Sykes following its reconditioning during the 1950s, the stern cabin arrangement between the two were different. From looking closely at the stern cabins of the vessel in the postcard image I'm confident that it is indeed the Wilfred Sykes.

The more I look at it I agree with you on the Sykes.

[Guest]

I don't have a Facebook account so it wasn't me that posted it on there. Although the Philip D. Block had a very similar pilothouse to the Wilfred Sykes following its reconditioning during the 1950s, the stern cabin arrangement between the two were different. From looking closely at the stern cabins of the vessel in the postcard image I'm confident that it is indeed the Wilfred Sykes.

[BigRiver]

Edward L Ryerson at the Lakehead ore dock 9-1960 Port Arthur, ON. Press photo from Robert A Zeleznik Collection.

[Guest]

Back in the days when in Ont they had a mens side and a couples side for bars lol, this topic peaked my interest in what other US ships or shipping companies have loaded in TBay

[Guest]

In the summer months of 1975, while working on the Ryerson we went up the river to Valley Camp twice in three months. I was the 5th deckhand. They carried an extra deckhand in the summer to paint and keep that stripe clean for the passengers. They loved to go to Canada. The dock was a little rickety, and it had two loaders like the one at Escanaba. At night we went to a hotel bar and had Canadian brewskis. I remember it well. I actually think they did not allow women in the bar.

Dock in Escanaba only had one loader, not two.

[Darryl]

In the summer months of 1975, while working on the Ryerson we went up the river to Valley Camp twice in three months. I was the 5th deckhand. They carried an extra deckhand in the summer to paint and keep that stripe clean for the passengers. They loved to go to Canada. The dock was a little rickety, and it had two loaders like the one at Escanaba. At night we went to a hotel bar and had Canadian brewskis. I remember it well. I actually think they did not allow women in the bar.

[Soo Guest]

In the early 70's, I went to university in Thunder Bay. In those days you could drive right to the waters edge at the Ore Dock. I took photos of the Ryerson loading at the dock. The road also gave you access to photo ships at the grain elevator beside the Ore Dock. I believe it was Pool 3.

[Guest]

The Inland boats were very regular callers remember being down there all the time one summer and LE Block was always there, even after CN stopped shipping ore through there ore dock the inland boats continued to load at the Valley Camp dock.

Inland's Canadian affiliate owned the mine.

[Guest 1]

It was not easy to access back then. I believe there used to be a gate if I'm not mistaken. The employees never really took time for pictures or were not interested in taking them as it was a regular day for them and not considered an unusual thing. Now you can get close to the dock as the lumber mill there has closed and there is access to the grain elevators and the ore dock. I drive by frequently.

[Guest]

The Inland boats were very regular callers remember being down there all the time one summer and LE Block was always there, even after CN stopped shipping ore through there ore dock the inland boats continued to load at the Valley Camp dock.

[Ray]

THe docks were actually pretty accessible. We were up there on a family vacation in 1976 and we were pretty much able to drive right up to the water's edge, probably in the parking area visible to the right of the dock. It was the closest I've ever been to a working ore dock.

There was a ship loading when we were there, the recollection of my then-8 year old brain is that it may have been a US Steel vessel, but I don't know if that is possible. (Was a red hulled boat).

[Guest]

Visits to the ore dock in Thunder Bay by the Edward L. Ryerson and Wilfred Sykes was quite common. In 1967, the Ryerson made 13 trips to Port Arthur for iron ore.

[garbear]

I recently acquired a postcard of the waterfront at Thunder Bay (likely Port Arthur and Fort William at the time) that appears to be from the 1970s or earlier with the Wilfred Sykes loading. I know that Inland Steel received quite a bit of their ore from Thunder Bay and some was brought in by Misener's Royalton up until the late 1970s but how common of visitors were the Sykes and the Ryerson to this dock? There does not seem to be an abundance of pictures of ships loading there. Was the dock hard to access for pictures or was there a lack of interest in photographing the ships at the Canadian Lakehead during that era?

I'll assume you're the same person that posted this postcard on Facebook. Still trying to figure out if it's the Sykes and not the Phillip D. Block. Inland also shipped ore from the Valley Camp dock. It has been re-named over the yrs. Had two shiploaders.

[Guest]

I recently acquired a postcard of the waterfront at Thunder Bay (likely Port Arthur and Fort William at the time) that appears to be from the 1970s or earlier with the Wilfred Sykes loading. I know that Inland Steel received quite a bit of their ore from Thunder Bay and some was brought in by Misener's Royalton up until the late 1970s but how common of visitors were the Sykes and the Ryerson to this dock? There does not seem to be an abundance of pictures of ships loading there. Was the dock hard to access for pictures or was there a lack of interest in photographing the ships at the Canadian Lakehead during that era?