Between July 18-25, 1925, “Old Home Week:” was celebrated in Sarnia. The following story is taken from the official Old Home Week publication:

The Beatty Line was founded by the late William Beatty of Thorold, and his sons and nephews, James H, John D, and Henry Beatty. The first boat was a side-wheeler, built at Port Colborne, called the Manitoba and came into commission in 1870

In 1872 and 1873, the Ontario and Québec which were built at Chatham were added to form the fleet.

A few years later the Sovereign and Asia, Welland Canal -sized steamers, were used to carry steel rails from Kingston to the North Shore of Lake Superior for the CPR construction, these steamers having become part of the line.

The lineup to this time was jointly managed by James H Beatty and Henry Beatty. From 1877 to 1882, Henry Beatty was sole manager, after which date he left Sarnia to take charge of the CPR fleet in construction and afterwards operation. At this time the Sarnia line was called the Northwest Transportation.

Disaster overtook the Asia in 1881, when she went down near Georgian Bay; her fate being one of the unexplained mysteries of the Great Lakes. Only two persons survived to tell the tale. The United Empire built at Sarnia in 1882, and the Monarch in 1888 were much larger steamers and added materially to the fleet. At this time the management was in the hands of James H and John D Beatty.

In 1900, John and Thomas Long of Collingwood bought the controlling interest in the line and the name was changed to Northern Navigation Company, becoming part of a line of steamers running out of Collingwood and Owen Sound to the Georgian Bay.

The steamers up to this time were built of white oak, and as a tribute to its durability, up to a few years ago, the Québec still existed under the name of the J.E. Spinner, as a steam barge, and the United Empire became the W.L. Kennedy, having been converted into a bulk steamer after being burnt to the water’s edge. The Monarch went on the rocks in Lake Superior near Passage Island, and the Ontario met a l like fate near the east shore of the same lake.

The number of emigrants carried by these boats in the early days before the Lake Superior section of the CPR was built was astonishing. A class of people who have since prospered, they now form the backbone of Western civilization – people from the British Isles, Sweden, Norwegians, I celanders, Mennonites and others.

The steamers operating today under the name of the Northern Navigation Company are the steel palaces ‘Huronic,” ‘Hamonic” and “Noronic.”, which vessels are unquestionably the finest passenger and freight ships trading to Lake Superior.

The route during the summer season is from Detroit to Sarnia, Sault Ste. Marie, Port Arthur and Duluth, and, judging from the thousands of tourists who patronize these vessels, the amusements aboard the ship and the shore, such as games, marches, dancing, picnics, are appreciated by the travelling public.