On December 31, MV Atlantic Huron discharged her final cargo of iron ore in Québec City, quietly closing out more than 40 years of service as a familiar sight on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence. She sailed for Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, arriving January 5, 2026, where she is now being dismantled and recycled, ending her story as it began: in Canada.
Delivered in 1984 at Collingwood Shipyards as Prairie Harvest, the vessel was one of the last straight-deck bulk carriers built in Canada and the first of the Caribbean Class, designed for both Great Lakes and ocean service. Converted to a self-unloader in 1989 and renamed Atlantic Huron, she went on to carry grain, ore, coal, salt, and other bulk cargoes throughout the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and beyond.
For the crews who sailed with her, Atlantic Huron was more than a vessel. She was a workplace, a home, and a constant companion through long watches, rough weather, and quiet nights on the lakes. Generations of seafarers learned their trade on her decks and engines, shared meals in her galley, and formed friendships that last a lifetime.
The ship is now being recycled in accordance with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, as well as CSL’s own ship recycling policy, ensuring her materials are responsibly recovered and reused.
Atlantic Huron leaves a legacy of Canadian shipbuilding, seamanship, and decades of hardworking service. She will be missed by all who sailed on her and all who watched her pass through the locks.
We give our final salute to a ship that gave everything she had, right to the end.
Final discharge in Quebec City, December 31, 2025
Arrival in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, for dismantling and recycling, January 5, 2026
