La Grande Hermine is a replica of one of the 3 ships that Jacques Cartier used when exploring and the St. Lawrence river back in 1535. This is the largest one — measuring 140 feet long. If this ship could talk, it would have a lengthy story to tell of where’s it been, and how it got here.

It was constructed in 1914 in Quebec and began as a ferry on the St. Lawrence, and later became a cargo ship, and then a floating restaurant. It was in 1991 that it was converted into a replica ship. This abandoned ship came to Jordan Harbour in 1997 with the intention of being turned into another restaurant or a gambling venue (there are different variations on this) by a businessman, who unfortunately passed away before he could see his dream come true. He was awaiting permission, along with lacking the funds to have it be used in Niagara Falls, which is why the ship was docked at Jordan Harbour for so long. Then in January of 2003, it was the victim of an arson fire.