Fans of the '90s children's television series Theodore Tugboat will be able to snap a picture beside "the beloved replica" this summer.
Theodore Too will make three stops in Sarnia-Lambton.
"Every time you see him, it just puts a smile on everyone's face so we're super excited to welcome him here and we look forward to seeing everyone down by the shore," said Tourism Sarnia-Lambton (TSL) Special Events and Sports Marketing Coordinator Vickey Praill.
Tourism Sarnia-Lambton announced Monday, August 23, that Theodore was on his way, but his port visits were delayed by one day.
The famous tugboat will now stop at the Mooretown Dock in St. Clair Township August 26 and September 3, Sarnia's Centennial Park August 28 and 29 and Grand Bend pier in Lambton Shores August 31 and September 1.
There is no cost to see Theodore Too, which will be available for pictures from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. during the specified stops.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no on-board tours of the boat.
"We're looking forward to welcoming people from the surrounding area, southwestern Ontario, to come and visit this great iconic television star while they visit the rest of our community; the beaches, parks, restaurants, and hopefully stay at some of our hotels," said Praill.
TSL is offering a "Theodore voucher" between August 26 and September 3, providing $25 off an overnight stay at Point Edward Hotels.
Praill said Theodore Too left Halifax, Nova Scotia on June 10 and has been travelling the Great Lakes. TSL reached out to see if they would consider stopping in the area on their way to its homeport in Hamilton and just recently got confirmation from Transport Canada to go ahead with plans.
"They will be travelling the Great Lake next year as well so we look forward to maybe even having him here maybe next year again," she said.
The tugboat is on "a mission" to advocate on behalf of the marine industry, which faces a shortage of professionals. Theodore Too also aims to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining, preserving, and restoring Canadian bodies of water.
As part of a sustainability effort, those who visit the tugboat are encouraged to share stories associated with local waterways through the Theodore Too Watermarks project.
Although a specific cost to bring Theodore Too to Sarnia-Lambton wasn't made available, Praill said the initiative was made possible by the Village of Point Edward, the Village of Point Edward Hotel (municipal accommodation) MAT funds, Carpenters Local 1256, as well as other community sponsors, such as Friends of the St. Clair River, Coldwell Banker – Southwest Realty Brokerage, and Bluewater Power Group of Companies.
Theodore Too, a replica of Theodore Tugboat, was built in Nova Scotia in 2000.
-updated by Melanie Irwin August 23