Brian Johnson

13 posts

The Great Gale of ‘75, Written by Brian Johnson in 2009

Late afternoon on November 10, 1975, a very worried lake captain reluctantly picked up the mike attached to his marine radio. . .

Lost Villages, Part II, written by Brian Johnson in 2009

Bulldozers were pushing down buildings. Workmen were wrecking everything in the village . . .

Lost Villages, Part 1, Written by Brian Johnson in 2009.

At first, it sounded like a low rumble, like the beginning of a thunderstorm . . . but unlike an approaching storm, it didn’t let up . . .

Captain George Darrell Horne MM

It was just weird that the ol’ man wasn’t out and about like he always was. Customs officers had arrived at their post by the pier and it was close to loading time. Still no sign of the captain . . .

R. B. ‘Ratch’ Wallace: ‘Captain Hollywood’

“By early morning, the wind was still blowing hard,” said Mate Emtage. “The captain and I listened to the weather report, and then he said he wasn’t feeling well. I noticed his colour was off . . .

‘Irish Bard’ Finds Family Roots on Wolfe Island

In the wee hours before Christmas Eve, Jannet Walsh suddenly bolted upright in her bed. Or what she believed was her bed . . .

Remembering Atlantic Convoy Sailor Fletcher Raymond Wade

Speaking softly, Ray Wade points out that he made 56 trips in convoys to Britain, eventually working his way up to second mate status. Wade also remembers that first convoy, that first trip, heading out into the North Atlantic Ocean. With who knew what waiting for them . . .

Remembering GBL’s Wilfred Bilow, A Diamond in the Rough

I’d heard of this guy. He had a reputation as being ‘tough as nails’. Everyone in the local marine industry from Picton to Prescott either knew him or of him. Most feared him. But everyone . . .

The Ferries are Here!

“These ferries can run 100% electric. They will not only improve operations immediately, they are also ready for the future, as they will each be one of the first of their kind in North America.

"Romeo & Annette"; The life, times, and sad fate of the Ferry "Upper Canada"

So today she sits, waits, and rusts away in the mud, forgotten like a broken, abandoned old vehicle in some equally forgotten, overgrown back field.

A Father’s Day Tale or Lifelong Memories of a Used Car Lot

“No, you got a deal,” said Jack Johnson, laughing, taking the man’s hand, feeling the spittle. “I got robbed Marv. You took advantage of this poor boy from Wolfe Island. I can’t feed my family on this.”

Ferry Boats: "James W. Curran" and "John A. McPhail" Lost at Sea

The mate grabbed the brake wheel and started leaning on it. “Billy!” he yelled above the din, “Tell the skipper to back down! We’re gonn’a lose ...”

Maggie Wheeler, the Seaway Valley Queen of Crime

"Being good at planning murders is not what you dream of becoming one day as a child,” Maggie said. “I guess it was the Nancy Drew effect,..