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Marine News - cont'd. 8. J. W. Purvis Marine Ltd., of Sault Ste. Mario, Ontario, has acquired the former Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd. tug ORIENT BAY, a near sister of the W. J. IVAN PURVIS, which began her career as Abitibi's MAGPIE. Both tugs were built in 1938 at Sorel as part of a five-tug order for Abitibi. ORIENT BAY is to be completely refurbished and, presumably with a new name, will be assigned to service at Thunder Bay along with W. J. IVAN PURVIS. We have received a number of reports concerning an untoward incident which allegedly occurred during mid-August aboard the Canada Steamship Lines salt water self-unloader CSL INNOVATOR. It has been indicated that the INNOVATOR suffered a serious fire in her unloading belt system whilst in the North At lantic off Europe, and that damage was extensive. At the present time, we have no additional information available, but w e will follow up this item in a future issue as more detail becomes available. After 65 years of service, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company's sternwheel passenger steamer DELTA QUEEN will receive a major rebuild which will keep the famous vessel out of service from early November of 1990 until March of 1991. Much has been done over the years to upgrade and beautify DELTA QUEEN's wooden superstructure, but her hull has remained basically unchanged since her construction in 1926 for overnight service on the Sacramento River in California. More than four decades of service on the Mississippi, Ohio, Cum berland and Tennessee Rivers, where channels are shallow and fraught with obstructions, have taken their toll on the fabric of the steamer's hull. This winter she will be drydocked and her entire steel hull will be replaced. To the lake marine observer, this might seem to be a formidable task, but the replacement of a riverboat's hull, particularly in the days of wooden steamers, has b een a relatively common occurrence. The fact that the Delta Queen Steamboat Company is prepared to invest such a large amount of money and work in the venerable DELTA QUEEN certainly indicates that it intends to keep the historic vessel in service. * * * * * PETER LATONA It is with regret that we report the sudden passing of Toronto Marine Historical Society member Peter Latona, of Mentor, Ohio, during early August, 1990. Pete had been a member of this Society for a number of years and was strongly interested in the preservation of lake marine history. Well known around the Fairport area, Pete was an excellent builder of ship models, his work being of high quality. He also had set about the pre servation of a photographic record of the interiors of the older lake vessels, and particularly of those freighters which w ere broken up at Ashtabula. W e shall miss his support of the Toronto Marine Historical Society, and to all those who were saddened by his passing we express our deepest sympathy. * * * * * MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Please remember that the only source of annually by you, our members. The funds to support the publication of "Scanner" you have not already done so, won't you as possible? We will appreciate it. * * * * * income for T.M.H. S. is the fees paid thus generated are used principally and to hold our monthly meetings. If please send us your renewal as soon