– A 65-foot replica of a beloved children’s TV character, Theodore Tugboat, will make its way into the harbour of Port Dalhousie this week.
After a journey that began in Canada’s Maritimes, the tugboat’s home for over two decades, Theodore TOO – an ambassador for clean-water strategies in Canada and an advocate for careers in the marine industry – is calling Hamilton home - and lucky for St. Catharines, making a short jaunt to Port Dalhousie. The community is welcome to take photos while it is docked in Port Dalhousie, on the west pier at Dalhousie Yacht Club. City of St. Catharines staff will also be welcoming visitors to the dock – located adjacent to the Lakeside Park parking lot – on Tuesday for visits and photos next to the tugboat, admitting 10 people at a time from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m., and 4-6 p.m.
“We are excited to welcome Theodore TOO to Port Dalhousie after a long journey that began in his original home of Halifax,” said Karen Doyle, the City’s tourism marketing officer. “Theodore Tugboat is a nostalgic character for many, so it’s exciting to have a piece of history sail into our harbour right here in St. Catharines.”
Theodore TOO has collaborated with Swim Drink Fish to promote several of the organization’s initiatives including its Great Lakes Guide, an online tool to encourage connections to water in the Great Lakes region.
“Theodore’s mission of protecting Canada’s water system as well as promoting marine careers is an important concept for not only our country, but to St. Catharines – the City’s history and future shares great ties to the marine industry,” said Natasha Mackow, chief experience officer for Theodore TOO.
Theodore TOO, owned by Blair McKeil of Breakwater Investments Inc. in Burlington, was built in Dayspring, Nova Scotia and made its first launch on April 19, 2000. The tugboat departed its home in Halifax in June and is expected to dock at the Dalhousie Yacht Club in Port Dalhousie sometime on Monday evening. Theodore will depart on Tuesday, July 20, at about 8 p.m. to make his way home to the Port of Hamilton.
To learn more about Theodore TOO and his quest for a clean water strategy, visit www.theodoretugboat.ca.
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Contact:
citizensfirst@stcatharines.ca