 "Monarch" was used to transport both passengers and packages on the Great Lakes throughout her career, primarily running between Sarnia, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Duluth, Minnesota.In 1899, Northwest Transportation merged with another company to form the Northern Navigation Company, Ltd.

On December 6, 1906, the "Monarch" finished loading a cargo of wheat, oats, salmon, and general merchandise and departed Thunder Bay for Sarnia in a blinding snowstorm.For some reason, the ship headed off her planned course, and that night she ran at full speed into the palisade area on the north side of Blake Point on Isle Royale.