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3. Marine News - cont'd . Meanwhile, despite efforts to secure funding, there is no indication that construction will begin anytime soon on a new large lock proposed for the St. Mary's Falls Canal at the Soo. If it ever comes to fruition, the proposal is to build another lock, at least as large as the Poe Lock, on the site currently occupied by the Davis and Sabin Locks. McKeil Marine has recently sold two of its familiar lake tugs, apparently for service in the Caribbean. They are GLENEVIS (C. 371772) and PAUL E. NO. 1 (C. 177427), both of which had Canadian registry closed on June 26. The two tugs were at Oswego in mid-June and subsequently made their departure from the lakes via the barge canal. Groupe Desgagnes has disposed of one ship and acquired a new one. GISELA, the former MA­ THILDA DESGAGNES and ESKIMO, finally cleared Montreal in late June after completion of her sale to salt-water operators. But in mid-June, Desgagnes announced that it had purchased a vessel named BELUGA FORTIFICATION, 12744 dwt. and 138. 07 m. overall length, currently under construction in Jiangzhou, China. The ship is to be renamed ROSAIRE A. DESGAGNES and should soon be in Canada, scheduled to load at Cote Ste. Catherine for a supply trip to the Arc­ tic. She reportedly will do Arctic trips each summer and autumn, and operate international­ ly during winter and spring. Her Gross and Net tonnages are, respectively, 9611 and 4260. It was announced on June 21 that Essar Steel Holdings Limited had completed the acquisition of Algoma Steel Inc. as planned. Then, late in August, came word that the United States Steel Corporation was acquiring Stelco Inc. but would maintain its Canadian steel-making facilities. Thus, none of the major Canadian steel producers remain under Canadian owner­ ship. In the May issue, we mentioned the fact that the Majestic America Line was seeking an ex­ tension to Congressional exemption from the Safety at Sea laws in respect of the wooden superstructure of the 80-year-old sternwheel passenger steamer DELTA QUEEN, but that oppo­ sition was being mounted by certain labour interests. Sadly, the worst has happened and the House has failed to entertain the continuation of the exemption and DELTA QUEEN will go out of service in November of 2008. Special plans for the steamer's final season are being made but it has not yet been decided what will happen to the boat once she is retired. Anyone wishing to take a trip on this grand dame of the rivers should make immediate arrangements. One of the repercussion of the bankruptcy of a previous owner of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company after 9/11 was the banishment to limbo of the coastal passenger boats CAPE MAY LIGHT and CAPE COD LIGHT. The latter was never completed, while CAPE MAY LIGHT ran only one season and was the next downbound vessel in the Welland Canal behind WINDOC when the latter was struck by the prematurely descending Allanburg Bridge. Meanwhile, the U. S. Maritime Ad­ ministration has been trying to sell the two ships and thus recoup some of the millions it lost in construction loan guarantees. There have been several "false starts", but it now appears likely that the buyer will be Cay Clubs Inc., although the sale had not actually been completed at last report. It was not disclosed what Cay Clubs intended to do with the two ships. Last year, lake shipping enthusiasts were celebrating the return to service, after eight years in lay-up, of EDWARD L. RYERSON, the only U. S. -flag straight-deck bulker on the lakes. Then, this year, there was even more surprise when the RYERSON made her first-ever appearance in the Welland Canal. She passed down the canal on May 24 with taconite from Superior for Quebec City, and returned with a cargo of fines loaded at Contrecoeur for Chi­ cago. She was in the canal again on July 16, with more ore for Quebec City, and this time she loaded manganese ore at Cote Ste. Catherine for the upbound trip. * * * * THE BURKE BOOK Now available is Steamboats Sawlogs & Salvage: The Story of the Burke Family and their near Relatives, produced by the Huronia Museum and authored by R. Patrick Smith. We have often mentioned in "Scanner" the Burke Family of Midland, Ontario, and its various shipping ope­ rations. This 176-page, copiously illustrated paperback, with a striking image of the stranded TURRET CROWN on the front cover, tells the Burke story. The book, $28. 00 including p&p to Canadian addresses, is available from Huronia Museum, P. O. Box 638, Midland, Ontario L4R 4P4. Phone (705) 526-2844, fax (705) 527-6622, or check out the museum's website at www. huroniamuseum. com The museum is a member of Toronto Marine Historical Society. http://www.huronianmseum.com