Hundreds pack Soo Locks to welcome first freighter through

The 2024-2025 shipping season is officially open on the St. Marys River navigational system.

The 728-foot Joseph L. Block locked through the Poe Lock at 6 p.m. Friday, with hundreds of people watching from inside the Soo Locks Park, which is located across the river in Michigan.

The Locks were originally scheduled to open at 12:01 a.m. Monday, but that date was moved up to Friday due to the urging of major steel producers.

Fans of the freighters — affectionately "known as "boatnerds" — packed the viewing platform and stood along the fence to be part of the special day.

"There's something special about the opening," said Holland resident Jody Forward. "It's excitement in the air. It's really cool."

Forward has visited the Locks before on several occasions, but never on the official opening.

"It's like everybody knows each other even though nobody really knows anybody," Forward said. "We are meeting for the first time in person, not on the internet or on Facebook. It's just an excitement in the air. I'm not sure how to explain it. It is an amazing thing to see."

Tomalou Squires made the trip from Paradise to see the first freighter through for the first time, too.

"I was happy that the opening of the Lock was at 6 p.m. this year instead of midnight because I finally could make it over," Squires said. "The weather is nice. It's so exciting with all the people here. I never realized how big of a thing it was. I am hooked now."

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan resident Diane Lahr-Barclay started loving the boats around two decades ago.

"Six o'clock is cool this year, but midnight is fun, also. Looks like the weekend is going to be nice to sit back and watch the boats go through," Lahr-Barclay said.

The smaller of two locks, the MacArthur Lock, is expected to open up over the next few weeks, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.