Bruce Grey Owen Sound's MP is calling on the provincial and federal governments to move quickly to dedicate a recently discovered shipwreck in Colpoy's Bay as a restricted and grave archaeological site.
Larry Miller says the wreck of the Jane Miller needs to be protected from disturbance by tourists or divers.
He says the freight and passenger ship sunk on November 26th, 1881 while carrying 28 passengers.
There were no survivors, and their bodies were never recovered.
Three shipwreck hunters found the wreck this past year.
“I am calling on the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to act as swiftly as possible to dedicate the site of the wreck of The Jane Miller as a restricted/grave archaeological site,” says Miller. “The ship still contains the bodies of local men and women whose families still reside in the local area. Out of respect to these men and women and their families, it is important to ensure that this site remains intact and free from disturbance from tourist and diving activities.”
The Jane Miller was built in 1879 and operated between Owen Sound and Manitoulan Island.
Miller has written letters to the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Honourable Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport for the Government of Ontario, to express his concerns and urge them to move swiftly to protect the site and secure a heritage designation.