Theodore Too, the replica tugboat named after a years-long TV series, has been refloated in St. Catharines, Ont., after partially sinking this week, according to the boat’s owner.
Theodore Too “was safely righted and refloated” at about 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, said a statement from Breakwater Financial.
Blair McKeil, CEO of Breakwater Financial, said Wednesday that the tugboat took on water and was “gently resting on the bottom in the mud” near a deck.
The Theodore Too tugboat, a giant replica of a popular character on a CBC children’s series, is currently sitting at the bottom of the Welland Canal in St. Catharines, Ont. The vessel started sinking yesterday, at a shipyard where it is docked for the winter. CBC’s Greg Ross has more.
The company thanked Ontario Shipyards, where Theodore Too is located, for their “immediate assistance and expertise” in refloating it.
The statement said the Canadian Coast Guard’s Urgent Response Team provided equipment to mitigate “any environmental concerns while refloating the vessel.”
Premier says tugboat a ‘true’ Nova Scotia icon
Theodore Tugboat was a children’s television show that aired on CBC from 1993 to 2001. Theodore Too was built in Dayspring, N.S., in 2000. Its official birthday is May 5.
Theodore Too left its province of origin in 2021 after being sold to McKeil to promote marine careers and raise awareness for the conservation of water resources.
Theodore Too started taking on water Tuesday night.
A day later, McKeil said the cause of the “unfortunate incident” remained unclear.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said on social media that Theodore Too is a “true” icon of the province and he was “sad to see” the tugboat in “such a damaged state.”
“I’m happy to read the owner is committed to repairing Theodore and a safe and successful refloat,” he said in the post on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this week.
