Passenger and Packet Freighters on the Upper Great Lakes

Until the mid-20th century, passenger and packet freighters were the most efficient means for transporting goods and people to and from isolated communities of the Upper Great Lakes. Essential to early regional development and instrumental in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, these vessels became key components of Canada's transcontinental transportation system. Over time, the construction and refitting of "packets" destined for service on the Upper Great lakes, such as the MS Norgoma, contributed to the development of a shipbuilding industry in the region, particularly at Georgian Bay.