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The article by GE Mortimer titled “Princess Joan’s Last Trip: Three Sad Blasts And She Was Gone” discusses the events and conditions around the last midnight run from Victoria to Vancouver for the vessel under Captain George Black with comments from the captain. It also discusses the capacity during the day and the night for the ferry. The last voyage only had 100 passengers, 14 cars and almost no freight. The newspaper article does not include the date or name of the newspaper from which it came from.

The article “Princess Joan Makes Last Romantic Midnight Run to Vancouver” was published in a Victoria published newspaper on the Thursday 26th February 1959 on page 17. Provided are four photos with corresponding caption. In the first caption there is reference to GE Mortimore’s “All Aboard” on page 2. The people in the photo include: Captain George Black, fireman David Rees working the boiler, Mr and Mrs WE Roskelley, Dorian John, and steward Nick Temofychuk.

The series contains 2 newspaper article clippings regarding the final Canadian voyage of the Princess Joan between Victoria and Vancouver in 1959.
The Princess Joan was built in 1930 in Scotland by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. for the Canadian Pacific Steamships. Since the beginning of her trips she has had a number of collisions, including with the Bamfield (who was rum running), and the Squid (who was carrying 400 cases of dynamite to the Britannia Mine), both who sank. Princess Joan was withdrawn from service in 1959 and sold to a company in Cyprus.
George Mortimore wrote for the Daily Colonist from 1945 to 1962, and from 1950 he did a portion of the newspaper called “All Aboard” that continued for 11 years were he wrote profiles on many different types of people. From the time of his return from serving in the military until he moved to Toronto to write in The Globe and Mail. He would later go on to teach anthropology in universities in Guelph, Edmonoton, Vancouver and Victoria.

It covers a wide range of West Coast maritime history. Starting with the photo of the disaster of Point Ellice Bridge in 1896 that belonged to a Mrs A Haggart. It also contains a postcard of HMS Hood, photos of different ships in Victoria, photos of DGS Samson and crew, postcard of the Inner Harbour, Dawson Steamer journeying to White Horse, and a panorama view of the workers of the Foundation Co BC Ltd and some of their ships. The newspaper clippings cover the last trip of SS Princess Joan to Vancouver.
The fonds consists of:
1 series that contains 2 newspaper clippings
1 certificate
12 photographs