Editorially speaking...
A mixed (mail) bag for you today:
Last week’s post on the sinking of the former B.C. Coast Steamships’ Princess Marguerite went to press without Third Engineer E.E. Stewart’s photo, shown here.
Further to the Marguerite, this note from reader Steve Koerner: “I just finished reading your article about the U-Boat torpedoing of the Princess Marguerite during WW2. I very much enjoyed the article and was wondering if the second Princess Marguerite you mention at the end of the article was the same ship that used to be on the Victoria-Seattle-Victoria route back in the 1970s. I'm assuming it was. Like many other Victoria residents, I went on that route a couple of times at least. I believe the Marguerite was scrapped sometime in the 1980s - pity she was never replaced. Keep the articles coming! Best wishes, Steve.”
To which I replied, “Yes, the second Marguerite ran between Victoria and Seattle when it was owned by the province. But it was an NDP program so when the Social Creditors (Van der Zalm & Co.) came in they tossed her. There's a good story there, too, that I might get around to one day. Both were beautiful ships and had more character than a ferry, sigh...”
And this comment from Paul Campbell who contributed the story of his father and his research to the story of the Marguerite’s final voyage:
“It’s interesting to read about the subsequent enquiry and the believe that the Marguerite was not torpedoed. This is despite the fact that the allies harried the U-83 with depth charges as it limped back to Greece for repairs and onward to its home port in Italy. The depth charges knocked out its batteries, so they could only surface run during the night using the diesel engines...
“I have been with Sharman Saunders for the past 20 years, daughter of Arthur Saunders who was on-board the Marguerite with my father. We knew each other when young, then met again some 40 years later!”
Proving, once again, that it’s a small world!
And this comment about my post on residential schools from former Cowichan Bay historian Tom Wagner:
“It seems it is now up to us historians to keep history alive.
“When I was at the college my office was at the end of a long hallway posted no entry area. I had a bunch of "Politically Incorrect" cartoons on my door. The board eventually insisted I take them down, even though they [were] all contributed by staff and students. I was a little slow taking them down. It only takes one person to ruin history.
“We have to learn from history, not wipe it out. After the statues and names are gone, it is up to folk like us to keep history alive!”
And this latest update of the 1916 CNR Hope Station House which has been threatened with demolition:
“Well today is a good news day! Hope District Council, on the strength of the evidence presented to them, voted unanimously to defer the decision on adopting the heritage repeal bylaw, to a later date. This is to allow for much-needed discussions regarding future options for the Station House!”
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