Northern Ont. museum restoring a piece of forestry history

A small museum near Timmins is working to restore a logging boat from the 1920s that helped fuel the local forestry industry.

The Connaught and District Pioneer Museum said preserving this piece of history will offer a new tourist attraction.

Rheal Dupuis of the Connaught and District Historical Society. July 27/23 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

While the roughly 100-year-old Alligator logging boat has been in better shape, museum volunteers are 'chomping at the bit' to restore it to its former glory.

"It’s our history. It’s … this boat was bought by Woollings in 1928 and was parked in 1957, I believe," Rheal Dupuis, of the Connaught and District Historical Society, said.

Much of the wood has rotted, but the frame, original engine and its history remain.

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Roy Saari remembers riding the boat as a child in the 50s to visit his mother who cooked for the workers. His grandfather did repair work on the boat and Saari's dad worked on another boat.

"It was nice to get off the farm, from down here, didn’t have to look after the cows and feed the pigs," Saari said.

The boat would pull logs across the nearby lake to the local mill for peeling, he said.

Photo of the logging boat in 1930 hauling supplies to Squaw Island on Nighthawk Lake. July 27/23 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

Saari recalls befriending the captain’s grandson.

"We could sit on the bench behind him and watch and everything else. It was really nice. We could go out on the back deck, sit out there in the sunshine and watch everything else," he said.

The boat also had a female engineer who would let them sit below deck in the engine room during harsh weather.

He said he has fond memories of the boat and can't wait to see it restored.

Photo of the wooden boat that is being restored by Pioneer Museum near Timmins. July 27/23 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

"I hope people come to see it because it’s a very interesting thing. It kept most of this town busy. They were either in the bush, cutting wood that went to the mill or in the summertime getting it down here. It was life," Saari said.

Lots of wood will need to be replaced, rust removed and all given a fresh coat of paint.

Dupuis wants to also build a separate observation deck, altogether an estimated $30,000 project.

"We have a great vision and we know what we want to do and … we want to share it with the public," he said.

The hope is to have the Alligator boat fully restored by next year or sooner and be a cornerstone of the community’s history.