THUNDER BAY – October 11, 2026 – A tug bought from Moran Towing in Philadelphia docked in the port on October 8. She is called the Harriet M. for now. Thunder Bay Tug Service has not finished the Transport Canada paperwork, and she has not been painted blue and white to match the rest of the fleet.
Capt. Gerry Dawson, the owner, said she replaces a tug that is 115 years old. Built in 1978 at Jakobson Shipyard in Oyster Bay, New York, she is about 28 metres and 3,005 horsepower. She will work ship assist in the harbour and on the lake. Dawson said the company’s captains are certified for anywhere on the Great Lakes. The work also includes salvage, towing broken-down ships in from the lake, dredging, pilot transfers to saltwater ships at anchor, and oil-spill response.
His son Davis, who has been with the company 11 years, said the port has got busier every year. The reason he gave is potash, loaded at Thunder Terminal and Mobil X. Summer used to be the slow season, when grain was quiet. With potash moving, summer is as busy as the rest of the year.
The Harriet M. is tied up behind the Point Valour. She is not a Canadian boat yet. The potash that is keeping the tugs working is already on the dock.
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