CLAYTON, NY – The Village of Clayton, along with the Clayton Chamber of Commerce, and in conjunction with The Ship Watcher/Seaway Ship Watchers Network, announced today an appearance by Theodore TOO, a life-sized tugboat based on the animated television character Theodore Tugboat, as part of the Village of Clayton’s 150th Anniversary Celebration.
Theodore TOO is a fully operational 65-foot tugboat reproduction of the original television character Theodore Tugboat from the beloved CBC series “Theodore Tugboat.” The iconic vessel was built at Snyder’s Shipyard in Dayspring, Nova Scotia and launched in April 2000. The television series debuted prior to the reproduction’s launch and captured the interest of Canadians, but also entertained children in the United States while airing on PBS. The series regularly aired from 1993-2001 in Canada and has appeared in over eighty countries worldwide.
The one-of-a-kind tugboat with a big personality is set to visit Clayton beginning the evening of June 27 through the early morning of July 2. The tug will dock at the Thousand Islands Regional Dock at Frink Park, located along Riverside Drive. Visitors are encouraged to come for photograph opportunities and a chance to interact with Theodore’s crew.
Theodore TOO’s appearance in Clayton will follow a visit to Brockville’s tall ships event. Clayton is expected to be the tug’s lone US port visit in 2022. Details for Theodore TOO’s Grand Arrival are still being planned and the community will be invited to participate.
Since being launched, Theodore TOO has acted as ambassador of the U.S. National Safe Boating Council and served as mascot to the U.S. Coast Guard. In the summer of 2000, Theodore TOO traveled the US coastline to Florida as well as venturing into the Great Lakes to up to Chicago as a promotional tour before docking in Halifax where the tug long served as a harbor tour boat.
As of March 2021, Theodore TOO has been owned by Blair McKeil, CEO, of Breakwater Investments in Ontario. Last June, Theodore TOO was moved from Halifax to Hamilton, his new homeport, and toured numerous Canadian ports on his journey to Ontario.
In addition to being a proud ambassador to his native Canadian Maritimes region, Theodore TOO now serves as a champion for Canada’s marine industry which includes creating awareness of the diverse and inclusive employment opportunities for Canadians that are vital to propel the industry forward in Canada and globally. Theodore TOO is also an ambassador to rallying people around a clean water strategy including restoration and protection of our waterways and Great Lakes in conjunction with Swim Drink Fish, a non-profit organization based in Toronto.
For more details on Theodore TOO’s appearance, visit www.1000islands-clayton.com/
About Theodore TOO
Launched April 19, 2000; Nova Scotia, Canada
Hull Wood with fiberglass
Iconic Feature(s) Red hat, large eyes
Tonnage 105 tons
Length 65 ft (20 m)
Beam 22 ft (6.7 m)
Draft 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
About Village of Clayton
The Village of Clayton celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2022.
Known as the birthplace of Thousand Island dressing, the first-ever vehicle-mounted steel snowplow produced by Frink Sno-Plows, the St. Lawrence Skiff, and the original and longest running antique boat show in North America, Clayton, as it was named in 1831, officially became a village on April 17, 1872, following a 140 to 51 vote in favor of incorporation.
The livelihood of the community has withstood the test of time, dating back to the Great Depression when the Clayton Manufacturing Plant kept locals from financial disaster by maintaining a workforce, the coal docks and farmland provided demanding physical labor that allowed residents to make ends meet, and today’s economy flourishes with revenue generated through tourism, the boom in the wine & spirits industry, and exquisite dining experiences, making Clayton the cultural centerpiece of the 1000 Islands.
Vote now through June 6 for Clayton in the 2022 USA Today 10Best Small Town Cultural Scene: Readers’ Choice Travel Awards by visiting http://www.10best.com/awards/