Royal Mail Ship in my own backyard
You know when you re-discover something you’ve been familiar with all your life? Well, that happened to me. I grew up in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada, fondly referred to as the gateway to Muskoka. Cottage country. Home to the famous RMS Segwun Steamship.
It is so familiar to me that I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve been on it. We would often take visitors for a cruise on Lake Muskoka. I’ve dived off the nearby cliffs, with friends, and if the ship happened to be passing by, it would often greet us by blowing the horn.
Historical steamship
All that familiarity and I never really took the time to realize the fact that RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship.
“The Royal Mail Steamship Segwun (“Springtime” in Ojibwa) is the sole surviving ship of her kind still in commission in North America. The Segwun, now unique, was then just one of a whole fleet of steamboats gliding up and down the Muskoka lakes ferrying passengers,supplies and mail to all the towns, villages and resort hotels.” (Source: “Segwun. A Muskoka Tour.” by Richard Tatley)
Postal heritage
I was visiting my parents recently and took a stroll (more like a walk actually, as it was freezing cold) down to the warf to look at the ship.
The ship is currently undergoing extensive repairs and there is a fundraising initiative going on to get it ready for the summer season. Such a remarkable piece of, not just postal heritage, but of historical Muskoka.
If you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend booking a cruise as it makes for a stunning venue for a wedding or party or for a sunset dinner. Don’t forget to mail a postcard or letter while you are there as the postmark is extra special!
Have you ever been on the Segwun? What piece of history do you have in your backyard?
P.S. A special note of thanks to Richard Tatley and the staff at the Segwun reservations office who kindly gave me a book and postcards so that I could share this story with you.