The Capital Iron & Metals Co. Ltd. was owned by the Greene family since it was founded in 1934 by Morris Greene, and was later taken over in 1972 by his son Ronald Greene. It used to be a ship-scrapping business and evolved to be a retailer for a number of items like camping and fishing equipment, patio furniture, cookware, tools, antiques, and nautical parts and pieces. From 1934 to 1971 Capital Iron and Metals had dismantled almost 100 ships. After the 2nd World War they started buying military surplus items and machinery parts, and also expanded to goods acquired in government auctions, distress sales and insurance claims. Ron’s daughter and son-in law, Mike Black, are the last owners of Capital Iron until it closed in 2022. Ron restored the façade of the buildings that house the company to their 1890s appearance which was recognized with the 1981 Award of Merit of the Hallmark Society and the 1982 Regional Award of Heritage Canada.
John A. Clarkson was a fulltime member of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada where reviewed and approved investigation reports regarding all air, rail, marine and pipeline accident/incidents. While working with the Council of Marine Carriers (CMC) he brought about changes to the new Marie Personnel Regulations for the west coast marine industry. He was also the Head of Delegation for Canada to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). He was an Associate Dean and Head of the British Columbia Institute of Technology Marine Campus. He has connections with the national Pilotage Authorities, the Shipping Federation of Canada, the Canadian Shipowners Association, and the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia. John retired in August of 2016, but since then has taken on advisor and part time positions. From 2018 to 2019 he was a Marine Technical Advisor for the National Board of Energy and starting November of 2019 he has been the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Maritime Museum of BC. He currently resides in Sooke.
Eleanor Conconi is a resident of Victoria, BC.
Francis Jupp was born in 1902. He served as the chief engineer of the cable ship Restorer for 27 years, starting in 1916. His career ended in 1943, when he collapsed from a stroke on the ship, after full speed ahead to avoid a submarine in Alaskan waters. He died in 1950.
His first wife was Lillian Jupp. After her death, he married Ursula Jupp (author and historian).
Arlee Gale has been a long-term volunteer at the UBC Museum of Anthropology, and is a current volunteer at the West Vancouver Art Museum. She was always involved in some aspect of clothing and textiles, whether it was teaching, retail or research and consulting. While volunteering at UBC’s MOA she has held many positions including Treasurer, Internal Coordinator and President. The experience of teaching textiles and clothing courses at UBC; owning a fabric store, and working with large garment manufacturers has given Arlee extensive knowledge of textiles. She joined MOA as a volunteer hoping to work with the fabric collections and is now the co-founder of the Textile Committee at MOA. Cousin to Richard Thomas Low a federally-appointed judge in Canada. Arlee is known to be active in her community, including contributions to Senior Living magazine, donations to West Coast LEAF (Legal Education and Action Fund), the Arts Club of Vancouver Theater Company, The textile Museum of Canada, and the West Vancouver Art Museum. She is currently living in West Vancouver.
Teresa Anne Haggart (1951-2023) (Teri) was a single mother, a dedicated elementary school teacher and librarian. She spent her whole life in Victoria, and she went to the University of Victoria for a degree in education. She spent most of her 30-year career at Cardova bay Elementary. In her retirement she volunteered at the Government House gardens and archives. She passed away in 2023.
Lauren Miller is a board member, since 2022, at the Shawnigan Lake Museum and is their secretary since around 2020. She currently works as a Project Coordinator with the Cowichan Tribes Capital Projects department. She completed her diploma in Urban Land Economics in 2022. She has a BS in Kinesiology and worked in the exercise rehabilitation field before changing career paths. She was born and raised on Vancouver Island and currently lives in Shawnigan Lake.
Peter R. Simpson currently resides in Brentwood Bay, BC. His mother Agnes (Westinghouse) Simpson was the one who wrote on the back of the photos and presumably took the photos. Pictured in a photo is her sister Violet Westinghouse and her brother George Thomas ‘Tom’ Westinghouse. The family had a place in Nassau, Bahamas, and visited in the winter as Peter’s grandfather did not like the winters here. They used to live in a house on Mt Newton Road in North Saanich. Agnes died in 2006 in Victoria.
Elizabeth Stanlake currently resides in north Saanich, BC. Her grandfather Joseph Dakers was good friends with Harold Elworthy, who founded Island Tug & Barge. Joseph Dakers was a native Victorian born in 1890. He was a well-known athlete and spent his career with Canada customs, ending up as the head customs officer for the Port of Victoria. Bill Mills was the husband of Elizabeth Stanlake’s great aunt.
Walter was born in 1886 in Scotland. In 1917, he obtained his third class engineer license. He worked on the S.S. Camosun in 1918. He invented and obtained a patent for a safety device for burners in 1925. He was married to Bertha Claribel (Belle), nee Grant.