Slipping beneath the waves, the SS Douglas Houghton met a strange end for a Great Lakes freighter. Here at Ontario Place, the Houghton rests, not on the lakebed, but entombed within a breakwater. The SS Douglas Houghton isn’t just a name on a map. It’s a piece of Great Lakes history, a steel giant that sailed the waves for decades. Launched in 1899 in Cleveland, the Houghton began its life carrying goods for the Bessemer Steamship Company. Her home port was Duluth, Minnesota. But the Houghton’s maiden voyage was anything but smooth. Just weeks after its launch, the SS Douglas Houghton collided with its own towed barge, the John Fritz, in the St. Marys River. This incident, known as the Houghton Blockade, closed the river to shipping for a whole week, creating the biggest maritime traffic jam in Great Lakes history. Raised and repaired, the Houghton returned to service, eventually joining the Pittsburgh Steamship Company in 1901. In 1928, the Houghton underwent a significant rebuild, adapting to the changing demands of Great Lakes shipping. Years later, in 1945, the Houghton came under Canadian ownership with the Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Company, later renamed Upper Lakes Shipping. The SS Douglas Houghton continued to ply the Great Lakes until 1967 when it was laid up in Toronto. In 1969, the Toronto Harbour Commission purchased the Houghton, along with two other freighters, the SS Howard L. Shaw and the SS Victorious. Their purpose? To form the breakwater that protects Ontario Place. Today, you can walk along the Sunken Ships Promenade, a concrete walkway atop these submerged vessels. The SS Douglas Houghton, once a symbol of Great Lakes commerce, now serves as a unique and enduring part of Toronto’s waterfront.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to