Dismantling of MS Lord Selkirk II nearly complete

It's been an eyesore for years, slowly rusting away inthe Selkirk slough. Now MS Lord Selkirk II's final journey, to the scrap heap, is nearly over.

• Rusty MS Lord Selkirk to be set adrift in junk yard

• MS Lord Selkirk will be gone by the time the snow falls, Selkirk mayor says

"We just slowly pick away at this thing," said Ben Hoosier, president of SaskSteel, the company in charge of dismantling the boat.

The two top floors have already been removed, and now Hoosier'steam is in the process of demolishing the last floor and the engine room. This laststage is complex and he's not sure how long it will take.

"Every ship is different...you've got to use your brains a little bit," he said. His company began the project in September.

Earlier this summer the province and the city partnered to pay$400,000for the ship's demolition after public outcry and a petition.Neighbours complained about it becominga rustyeyesore and expressed concern abouta bad, fuel-like smell coming from the hull.The ship has beenabandoned since theearly1990s.

While the MS Lord Selkirk II has been victim to rust, arson and vandalism over the years, Hoosier said his team still found a few gems left onboard.

"We found some dishes," he said."Bells, telephones, things that are unique to the ship."

Hoosier's team saved the ship's portholes, anchors and a lifeboat. Some of the valuable objects will be donated to the Marine Museum of Manitoba although Hoosier plans to keep one of the anchors for himself. Anauction is also being planned so members of the public can get their hands on amomento, said Hoosier.

"We've had a lot of people come by, [who]want a souvenir or [to]tell a story to us," he said. "It's a very interesting project, there's a lot of history here."

The MS Lord Selkirk IIpassenger cruise ship first set sailin 1969. Over the years it's hosted Queen Elizabeth II and a governor general on tours along the Red River and Lake Winnipeg.

"This is as close to an ocean liner as we're ever going to get in Manitoba," saidHoosier.

Mayor of Selkirk,Larry Johannson,said MS Lord Selkirk II should be completely gone from the site before winter.