"THE 'NORONIC' DISASTER" - Toronto, ON - Ontario Provincial Plaques on Waymarking.com

The SS Noronic was an American-registered passenger ship the cruised the waters of the Great Lakes in the 1930's and 40's.

The Noronic berthed at Pier 9 in Toronto while on a week-long Great Lakes voyage. On 17 September, 1949 a fire broke out in a storage compartment. Crew members attempted to extinguish the flames, but to no avail. Passengers and crew abandoned the ship by whatever means possible. By the time the fire was extinguished, 119 had died.

This tragedy led to enforcement of much stricter fire prevention laws on the Great Lakes, and led to a sharp curtailment of passenger activity.

Text on the plaque reads:

THE 'NORONIC' DISASTER

On the evening of September 16, 1949, the "Noronic" a
Great Lakes cruise ship carrying 524 passengers docked
at Pier 9, 100 metres east of here. At 1:30 the next morning
a passenger noticed smoke seeping from a locked closet.
Crew members fought the fire, but it erupted into a life-
threatening inferno before they could awaken everyone
aboard. Passengers descended the gangway, climbed down
ropes, leapt onto the dock, or jumped into the harbour.
Firefighters, police and passers-by assisted, but 119 perished.
All but one were American passengers. An inquiry resulted
in stricter fire safety enforcement which forced older cruise
ships out of service and caused a decline in passenger
shipping on the lakes.

Address or location of plaque: Queen's Quay Ferry Dock, Toronto, ON Physical location of plaque: Park "Ontario Plaques" Website for this "Plaque": [Web Link] A web-site for more details.: [Web Link] Description of any physical remains at site of "Historical Plaque": None.... Plaque only.... This 'Plaque' describes: An 'Event' Condition of sign: Good Is this a bilingual sign?: No ! What is the second/third language?: Not listed

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