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This collection of Christmas cards belonged to Joseph Dakers, as he was childhood friends with Harold Elworthy. The Christmas cards of Island Tug and Barge are well known with their illustrations by Edward Goodall.
The company was founded in 1924 by Harold Elworthy (1901-75), acquiring Gardner Towing in 1926, 1956 acquired Young & Gore and in 1958 acquired Victoria Tug, who remained the president of the company until 1970. It provided towing services to different local industries in Victoria and then expanded in World War II to deep-sea towing and salvage and pioneered the use of self-dumping log barges. One of their most famous was the “Sudbury” tug. The company is now known to offer bulk fuel transportation, specialty towing, marine logistics, submarine cable laying, commercial diving, and more. They are the marine transporter of choice for some of the world’s leading multinational oil companies. In 1960 McAllister Towing of Montreal, purchased the company in 1960. In 1968 it was acquired by Genstar Ltd, which in 1969 joined Dillingham Corporation. In 1970 Seaspan International Ltd. was created by the acquisition of the Vancouver Tug Boat Company and Island Tug & Barge through Dillingham. The name Island Tug and Barge was sold 1993. Seaspan has continued to purchase and merge with companies in the marine transportation and building business.

A Christmas card from Island Tug & Barge. The exterior is blank, the left side of the card has the words: With our best wishes fro Christmas and the New Year from Island Tug & Barge Ltd. The right side of the card contains a drawing by Edward Goodall of the “Barque ‘Pamir’ Outward Bound in Tow of ‘Island Commander’”. The drawing shows the tug Island Commaner pulling a sail ship with 4 masts under a bridge surrounded by mostly forested land, with some tall buildings in the distance with many seagulls flying around. There is wear and tear and marks on the inside of the card.