Soo Locks Engineer's Day

Enjoying a day at Engineer's Day

SAULT STE. MARIE - A Michigan landmark will open its doors to the public, when the Soo Locks hosts its annual open house, known as Soo Locks Engineer's Day, on Friday,  June 26, 2009.

On June 30th, 2009,  the men and women of the US Army Corp of Engineers Detroit District request the honor of your presence at the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new Soo Locks Replacement Lock. There will be  an open house at the Soo Locks from nine o'clock to noon. The ceremony will start promply at ten o'clock. The public is welcome. Soo Locks Skycam

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites people of all ages to come and explore the Soo Locks complex and avail themselves of the rare opportunity to walk across the Lock walls. These walls make it possible for freighters to traverse the 21-foot drop between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. To obtain a real understanding of how this engineering marvel works, only a visit will do.

“The Soo Locks complex offers such a unique glimpse at both our history and our way of life,” said Linda Hoath, Executive Director of the Sault Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Architecture, engineering, and the lore of the Great Lakes all come together in this beautiful park setting.”

Engineer’s Day festivities are held from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and the gates are open to allow visitors across the Locks and into other facilities, like the Davis Building and the Administration Building. Both are historically-important structures used solely for the work of one of the world’s busiest Lock systems.

Visitors are welcome to stroll the park, tour the Open House at the Edison Sault Hydroelectric Power Plant and LSSU Aquatics Lab , and climb observation platforms as mammoth freighters ply the waters of the St. Marys River system.

At the site’s Soo Locks Visitor’s Center, new displays will feature shipping and history themes. “Sisters” is a display featuring those freighters constructed with the same plans and therefore considered to be sister ships.

“Ships of the Great Lakes” will feature historic photographs and information on ships that have sailed the lakes since the early 1800s, including whaleboats, sidewheelers, steamers with barges, wooden freighters and the modern 1,000-foot freighters.

Several other displays are new this year, thanks to the hard work of the Soo Locks Visitors Center Association (SLVCA), a group of volunteers whose mission it is to continually update the center.

“The Army Corps of Engineers and the SLVCA work hard to make sure the park and Visitors Center are both informative and enjoyable,” Hoath commented.

The Soo Locks are located on West Portage Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, or check for location on map number 2 , adjacent to downtown shopping, restaurants and accommodations.  The park and all facilities are open free to the public and parking is located on Portage Avenue.

For more information about the Soo Lock's Engineer’s Day, call 1-800- MISAULT ( 1-800-647-2858 ).