The Marysburgh Vortex straddles the Canada-U.S. border in eastern Lake Ontario. Map: Kingston Spotlight
Between 270 and 500 shipwrecks lie in eastern Lake Ontario, by Kenn Feigelman's estimate, most of them in the stretch of water known as the Marysburgh Vortex. On the U.S. side of the lake, those wrecks are already protected. On ours, there's no marine sanctuary or conservation area.
Kenn Feigelman, founder of Kingston-based Deep/Quest 2 Expeditions, meets Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu on Friday, November 13, to push for a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in eastern Lake Ontario. Nature Canada will join by video from Ottawa.
Where the conservation area push stands
The two groups made a joint call for protection in September. Julia Laforge, Nature Canada's policy and campaign manager for protected areas, told Kingston Spotlight there's no real action yet. The first step is for Ontario and Ottawa to sign an agreement to start a feasibility study. Parks Canada has said it will move forward once the province commits, so that's what Nature Canada is asking Queen's Park to do.
In the groups' September release, Julia said an NMCA "could secure federal resources to manage invasive species, protect critical shorelines, and aid Canada in reaching its international commitment to protect 30% of its land and water by 2030."
"Protecting these waters doesn't just save wildlife; it safeguards our shared maritime history," Kenn said in the same release.
The U.S. side of the lake is already protected
The Marysburgh Vortex is the triangle between Wolfe Island, Point Petre and Mexico Bay near Oswego, New York, so it straddles the border. In 2024, the U.S. created the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, which runs along the New York shore out to the border. The Canadian side, including the wrecks off Point Traverse, has no such protection.
One of the shipwrecks in eastern Lake Ontario. Photo: Deep/Quest 2 Expeditions
Kingston council asked both levels of government to start that feasibility study back in May, and Lee Taylor-Watson of The Scuba News covered the campaign last week.
More meetings, and a book on the way
Kenn says he also plans to meet Chris Malette, MP for Bay of Quinte, and Mark Gerretsen, MP for Kingston and the Islands. His book on the Vortex, Out of Oblivion, comes out May 7, 2027, and he has local talks lined up.
We'll be sharing more about Kenn's remarkable story soon: decades of diving, exploring and documenting what lies under our lakes. Watch for our spotlight.
Be part of the story
At Kingston Spotlight, we love showing what's working in our community, including the people working to protect what lies under our waters.
Follow the campaign: see what Nature Canada and Deep/Quest 2 Expeditions are working on.
Share this story: pass it to a diver, boater or history buff you know.
We'll follow up after the November 13 meeting.
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