The Friends of Keewatin are as tenacious as pirates.

In June, Skyline Development put the last surviving Edwardian steam ship, the SS Keewatin, up for sale, scrap or donation, and put a fence around it to lock out the volunteers at Port McNicoll’s dock.

The donation could only go to a historical organization with a Heritage Canada Category B designation. Friends of Keewatin was denied that designation in the past because it lacked the required financial backing.

“A guarantor has come forward to provide the financial backstop we will need to assure Canadian Heritage we have not only the competency, but also the ability, to operate and care for the ship,” said Wayne Coombs, president and marketing manager for Friends of Keewatin. […]