The Modern Era of Great Lakes Shipping (1954-Present)

This online class will take place March 25, 27, April 1 and 3, 1:00-3:00 p.m., via Zoom, with Kelsey Prihoda.

Become an ambassador of Great Lakes shipping! Anyone with an interest in Great Lakes shipping and its impact on our everyday lives would benefit from taking this course.

Through storytelling and learning experiences, this course will provide you with foundational knowledge of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes in the modern era from the development and opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to present-day opportunities for growth and sustainability.

The course will be giving in four sessions, each two hours long, covering the following topics:
● Session 1 – The Story of the Seaway: Linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean (1954 – 1978)
○ Importance of locks to commercial navigation.
○ Location of locks on the Great Lakes and how they operate.
○ Development of the St. Lawrence Seaway and its impact on Great Lakes shipping.
● Session 2 – One-Thousand Footers: The Expansion of Great Lakes Freighters (1972 – 1981)
○ Evolution of ship sizes since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
○ Types of vessels on the Great Lakes.
○ Cargo types and how Great Lakes shipping touches your everyday life.
● Session 3 – Unforeseen Consequences: Ballast Water and Aquatic Invasive Species (1959 – 2024)
○ Importance of ballast water for vessel and crew safety.
○ Unforeseen consequences of using water as ballast.
○ Ballast water management strategies and Impact of national and binational policy on ballast-mediated aquatic invasive species.

● Session 4 – New Opportunities in Great Lakes Shipping: Containers and Decarbonization (2014 – Present)
○ Contrasting efficiency of transportation modes.
○ Rebirth of container shipping in the Great Lakes.
○ Great Lakes Green Shipping Corridor.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
● Identify the ways in which the United States and Canada have worked together in support of commercial shipping in the binational Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway.
● Describe the importance of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway to the era of modern, commercial shipping in the Great Lakes and the economic impact of today’s maritime sector.
● Compare and contrast the types of vessels that ply the Great Lakes and recognize typical Great Lakes voyage routes and cargo types.
● Explain what ballast water is, why it’s important, and how it has played a role in the introduction of aquatic invasive species to the Great Lakes.
● Recognize future opportunities for Great Lakes shipping, including cargo types and sustainability initiatives.

Requirements:  The only prerequisite knowledge needed is an understanding of the basic geography and location of the five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the states and provinces that comprise the Great Lakes region. This is an online course and will require a computer with a microphone and camera. Some prior experience with the Zoom meeting platform will be helpful. Any other resources needed during this course will be provided by the instructor. Students will be assigned a Great Lakes vessel and will be asked to track its movements in between sessions; there will be a final presentation on each vessel and its two-week trade pattern that will require work time in between class sessions to prepare.

Register by March 11 to get a $5 Early Bird discount off the regular registration price of $45!

Instructor: Kelsey Prihoda

Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.

Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-2032 or (715) 476-2881.

Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Course Cancellations: Students are encouraged to register at least 2 weeks before the beginning of any Fe University course. A course with less than 4 students 2 weeks before the start date may be cancelled at instructor/FeU discretion, with students’ registrations refunded. If you’re interested in a class, please sign up early! Thank you.

Student Cancellations: If a registered student cancels, registration can be refunded if requested 4 or more days before the course’s start date. We’re afraid cancellation requests made 3 or fewer days before the course’s start date are unable to be refunded.