If you woke up with a sinking feeling today, it might not have been merely because it's Wednesday the week before Christmas: our nation's beloved Theodore Too tugboat — a life-sized replica of the titular character from CBC children's show Theodore Tugboat — has begun to sink on Lake Ontario at Port Weller Dry Docks Shipyard in St. Catharines.
"Unfortunately, Theodore Too took on water while tied up at the dock at Ontario Shipyard," Theodore Too's owner, Breakwater Financial CEO Blair McKeil, said in a statement late yesterday (December 17), adding that the cause of the incident remains unclear and measures have been taken to mitigate any environmental impact [via CBC]. "The vessel is now partially submerged and resting on the bottom."
McKeil continued, "We are now working on a refloating plan. It's a very unfortunate event, thankfully there were no people involved and no injuries."
Theodore himself also posted a statement on his official Instagram account, writing, "I am resting safely on my belly in the mud and my family in Ontario has assembled a team of experts to carefully right and refloat me. They are working super hard to have me ship shape in time for the holidays. I will keep you posted on how things go!"
The ship, which has been a fixture in the Halifax harbour for 21 years, began travelling three years ago and traversed over 1,900 kilometres, stopping at 15 ports along the way before reaching its destination in Hamilton, where it was rented out as an Airbnb for two days in 2022. Since then, it has visited more than 20 ports along the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, promoting water conservation and the marine industry while "bringing joy and happiness to local communities."