La Grande Hermine | Ontario Photo Spot
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La Grande Hermine is a great stop on the highway from Toronto to Niagara. The original was a three-masted sailing vessel that brought Jacques Cartier to Saint-Pierre in the 1500s. A replica was built for Montreal’s 1967 Expo event as a floating restaurant. After a long history of attempts at making her into something else, she was purchased by a business man from Niagara Falls who planned to make a casino, but while trying to get the appropriate permit, the man died. The Grande Hermine was towed near the Jordan marina and abandoned there. Any time of day and any season is great for photographs, though we prefer golden hour in the winter to get great reflections from the ice. Because of the fire that happened years ago, they are now talking about taking the whole ship away due to it being dangerous. So we would suggest not waiting too long to visit. It is easily accessible from a parking lot right beside it, off the Q.E.W Niagara. (Lincoln, Ontario, Canada)