Alan Howard, a friendly and loquatious marine enthusiast of Toronto, knew all about the Canadian Pacific white fleet that steamed weekly between Port McNicoll and the Lakehead. In the early Sixties, he and other steam buffs had taken the trip on the almost-twins Keewatin and Assiniboia, as they correctly guessed that the service would soonContinue reading “Keewatin memories, and a plea to keep her here”
Category Archives: Memorable Moments
More about ice
You may have read the post below about The Iceman. This one is different. It’s about what not to do when dealing with ice on the Bay in the very early spring. It was April in the mid-Sixties and I was living in Midland on the south shore of the Bay. Every year at thatContinue reading “More about ice”
Of unsung heroes
By the time the big launch had crept through the growing darkness past Eshpabekong Island, waves pushed by a strong east wind began to make it roll. Giving a wide berth to a shoal at the north end of Giant’s Tomb Island, the skipper ran south along the boulder beds of the Tomb’s west shore.Continue reading “Of unsung heroes”
The mighty Laker
Today, anglers venture into the open waters between the eastern shore of Georgian Bay and the Western Islands in search of salmon. Up to the 1930s, however, these waters were said to be the place where the mighty lake trout began its autumn migration from the depths to their traditional inner spawning waters. Fishermen andContinue reading “The mighty Laker”
Betsy’s mysterious anchor
Some of the granite islands in eastern Georgian Bay have sand beaches, mostly small, which make ideal swimming areas especially for children. But for real beachcombing the large outer islands — Christian, Hope, Beckwith and the Giant’s Tomb — are ideal. These are just over the geographic line separating the sandy soil and deciduous woodlandsContinue reading “Betsy’s mysterious anchor”
Sunsets
Some of the images in this blog, you may have noticed, portray twilight or sunsets. I don’t know why that is, except that the tranquility at that time of day is appealing to some like me at that same time of their lives. However the following anecdote is about the end of a day sixtyContinue reading “Sunsets”
Minstrel of the islands
One weekend in early spring I was at Wahnuhke alone. A load of firewood delivered the previous fall needed stacking and that was a good excuse for me to spend time there. It was windy and raw, but good weather for physical work. As I toiled away among the juniper bushes, I became aware ofContinue reading “Minstrel of the islands”
How we found the smelts
Although born in England and raised in New Zealand before arriving as an adult in Canada, Kenneth With brought with him a staunch belief in all things British. That, plus a possibility he might have been descended through his mother from Izaak Walton (English author of The Compleat Angler, about the art and spirit ofContinue reading “How we found the smelts”
A fish story
One calm autumn day off the dock at Wahnuhke we saw the glassy surface of the water broken by a couple of bumps. Thinking it must be a log floating just below the surface, we went out to retrieve it before a passing boat got damaged. As we got close it suddenly sank out ofContinue reading “A fish story”
Remembering the Midland City
Anyone familiar with Georgian Bay likely has heard of the inter-island steamer Midland City. When I first wrote this around 2004 for the Midland Free Press there might even have been a few people still living who had worked on the beloved old boat or who, like me, at least had a ride on her.Continue reading “Remembering the Midland City”
