For decades, commuters on the QEW have looked for the familiar silhouette of the Jordan Harbour "Ghost Ship." Whether you saw it in the morning mist or the evening glow, its disappearance marks the end of a massive chapter in Niagara’s local landscape.
The iconic 42.67 m (140 ft) silhouette of La Grande Hermine before its 2024 removal.
Illustration by SCG NIAGARA
The Final Voyage of La Grande Hermine
The ship wasn't actually an old pirate vessel, but a 1914 steel ferry originally named Le Progrès. While it was built to look like Jacques Cartier's 1535 flagship, this specific hull was "dressed up" in its wooden replica shell in 1991. After serving as a restaurant and even a haunted house, it was brought to Niagara with dreams of becoming a casino in Chippawa—a dream that ended when the owner passed away.