Sault Ste. Marie - The Great Tugboat Races

We arrived in Sault Ste Marie on the weekend of the tugboat races. They usually take place the end of June. One of the ships, the Nostalgia becomes a pancake breakfast restaurant and we saw hungry people clambering on board for a hearty meal.

First, we decided to wander around the many boats that were tied to the docks and check them out. They were decked in flamboyant colours that were impressive in their creativity of decoration and brightened up an overcast day.

When the races start it is hard to judge where is a good spot to watch. We ended up travelling down from the docks and finding a seat on the big rocks to watch some of the boats go by. Further down is better looking across at the United States power plant. You can't help but be awed by the Cloverland Electric Coopertative Hydroelectric Plant that faces you, it is massive and attractively designed for a functional building. Finally, we'd found our spot to get into the excitement of the tug boat races. Choosing a boat to cheer on we watched as they chugged past us. Our encouragement rang out along with the throng of supporters around us as we laughed at the small tugs that managed to out maneuver the big guys and left us thinking of our kids favourite t.v. show Theodore Tugboat. A wave of nostalgia hit for a moment as thoughts of our grown children's youth returned but were lost again as the next round of tugboats tossed upon the wakes of their competitors, and we all buoyed for our new tugboat to win.

Fort St. Joseph's National Historic Site offers an interesting walk combining First Nation history with soldiers and natural habitat. It also gives you an extensive view of St. Mary's River.

Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site has a building you can go through to learn more about the canal's history. You can also walk the canal to see the operating equipment for the locks. The canal is a gateway from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Superior and by passes the rapids on St. Mary's River.

The Norgoma Ship is a museum and sits within Sault Ste. Marie's docks for anyone to go on board. Relatively close by is the Art Gallery of Algoma which looks out onto the St. Mary's River.

All of the above are within walking distance for those that don't mind a long stroll.

Other places of interest are the Casino which is located in the heart of Sault. Ste. Marie and the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. There are other attractions for you to see if your stay is a longer one.

We were only there for a short time so our plan was to go on the Agawa Canyon Tour Ride. We'd heard that it was an amazing trip in the Fall and we hoped we would be just as happy with it in the Summer. We were.

The tour is well done. The train is comfortable and equipped with video screens so you can see and hear the history of the areas you are travelling through. Points of interest are highlighted so you can take photographs and the beauty of the countryside is breathtaking. In the Agawa canyon the train stops to allow access to washrooms and picnic areas. There are several walks, one entailing many stairs for those with lots of energy and another that takes you to a few different areas of waterfalls that are exceedingly pretty. For those that have participated in strenuous walking the gentle rock of the train is wonderfully relaxing on the ride back. After seeing the canyons beauty in Summer I now have to go back in the Fall and see it in all of its colourful glory, I'm sure it is even more spectacular.