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Users of the Turtle Portage Marine Railway on Lake of the Woods are warned that the system will remain closed until the spring, with crews beginning their rehabilitation work on September 19.
The marine railway provides a 400-foot shortcut for users to move their boats between Whitefish Bay and Sabaskong Bay on Lake of the Woods, instead of travelling 145 km by boat around the Aulneau Peninsula.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says the facility closed down between September 19 to the spring of 2023, and boaters are asked to use local boat launches in its place.
The Ontario government announced an $800,000 investment into the marine railway system in January 2022. Upgrades are set to include new concrete, walkways, rails and a boat cart to help improve functionality, safety and reliability.
The system uses a boat dolly mounted onto a railway track, which is then operated manually to move boats over the land. The railway was installed in 2000, replacing a roller way from the early 1990s.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry proposed closing the marine railway in 2019 due to financial concerns, which was decided against.