Catching a “Bear” In the Deep Frozen Woods

It’s been a long time since I’ve successfully caught a ship at Superior Entry! The last 3 or 4 times I’ve tried, the ship either didn’t move or they bailed out due to adverse weather conditions. So when I saw the Bear going for it and I was able and willing to make the drive, I went for it! This was the first time I’ve been able to see Algoma Bear at night and she did not disappoint! Far more lit up than any other Canadian Laker I’ve seen, including three spotlights ablaze over her deck, features I’ve only seen on US lakers until now! She took her time through the ice, a beautiful but (as usual for the last few weeks) brutally cold sight! She docked at BNSF 5 to load iron ore, taking it to Hamilton just west of Toronto. The snow along the pier was deep and undisturbed, got some nice boot-fulls walking out there, so that was a bit less fun but that was my own fault lol.
Also included some sped-up footage of the drive up Wisconsin Point from the camera mount on the dash, since many people don’t realize it’s not exactly in town!

One of the newbies on the Lakes, Algoma Bear was built in 2024. She measures 740ft long with a capacity of 35,270 tons. She is the final of four ships of her design, the others being Algomas Conveyor, Sault and Niagara. She differs from her sisters in that she features a a secondary bow-mounted control center, facing backwards along the deck. This was a common feature of several Canadian Lakers built in the 1970s, but hasn’t been seen since then and all those vessels have been retired, the last one to leave service being Algoma Transport, which this ship was built to replace. So it’s a surprising but welcome feature!

Since her career is just getting started, there’s not much to note about her history, but her story will write itself as she sails in the footsteps of all the Great Ships that have come before her!

Hope you enjoy!