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Editor's Logbook - cont'd. 2. be sent to William R. Wilson, 173 Glenrose Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1K7. Tickets will be held at the door for all who have reserved with payment. Please Note that space is limited and this will be a popular programme. We must confirm to the restaurant the number of persons attending AND their dinner choices, so reservations, accompanied by payment, must be received by Tuesday, May 8. We regret that there can be no refunds after that date. Please plan to attend and reserve early for you and your party. The dinner meeting always is a high point of our season and an evening enjoyed by all who attend. Won't you please join us? And remember that the dinner price INCLUDES taxes and gratuities, so you definitely get good value for the price. In the New Member Department, we extend a hearty welcome to Toronto firefighter Sean Forrest. We hope that you will enjoy your membership in T. M. H. S. * * * * * * * MARINE NEWS The opening dates for the canals of the Great Lakes have been announced. First to open will be the Welland Canal, at 0800 on March 20, and this will be the earliest opening ever for the Welland. The St. Lawrence canals will open at 0800 on the following day, March 21. The St. Mary's Falls Canal at the Soo will open on March 25. There has been some extremely cold weather in the area during February, and it will be interesting to see whether ice will cause any difficulties. Of considerable concern, however, are low water levels which may reduce even further the allowed vessel draft in the canals. Coming as quite a surprise is the renaming by the Interlake Steamship Company of its 1959-- built steamer CHARLES M. BEEGHLY, (a) SHENANGO II (67) while the ship is in winter quarters at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The new name of the vessel, already painted on her, is HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR, honouring the U. S. Representative (D) from Minnesota, who has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1975 and currently is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He reportedly has been "friendly" to lake shipping interests. At an earlier point, we mentioned that the passenger vessels CAPE MAY LIGHT and CAPE COD LIGHT might operate into the lakes under Hornblower ownership. It is now reported that Hornblower was unable to put together the financing necessary to complete the acquisition of the two vessels. Apparently, however, interest in the vessels has been expressed by the Hannah Marine Corp. The Hannah organization is best known in these parts for its extensive tug and barge operations. For a while it looked as if Seaway Marine Transport might be able to keep CANADIAN TRANS­ PORT operating through much of the winter, but her efforts finally were done in by the ex­ tremely cold weather. The TRANSPORT managed to run through the first week of February, but then found that ice conditions would not let her deliver her load of road salt to either Buffalo or Conneaut. Accordingly she was diverted to Nanticoke where she was laid up, still with the salt in her holds. It would appear that the sale of MATHILDA DESGAGNES finally was completed. Her Canadian re­ gistry had been closed on December 28. On or about February 12, whilst laid up at Montreal, she was reflagged Panamanian as (c) GISELA. Another Desgagnes ship, CAMILLA DESGAGNES, was reflagged to Barbados on January 18. There had been some confusion over the name of the tug that was towed to the International Marine Salvage scrapyard at Port Colborne late in the 2006 season. She was TECHNO-ST- LAURENT and it is confirmed that she was officially renamed KRISTIN back in 2001, although that name never was painted on her. We should also clarify the new name of McKeil's tug POINT VIGOUR. The new name is MOLLY M 1 and not as shown in the February issue. * * * * * ADDITIONAL LAY-UP LISTINGS We now continue the lay-up report with some additional information received. Halifax: Add SAUNIERE - arrived January 28 and drydocked January 29. Nanticoke: CANADIAN TRANSPORT. Cleveland: Add ASHTABULA (tug), CHERAW (Corps, tug), EAGLE (tug), FOREST CITY (bumboat), IOWA (tug), MAINE (tug), MILWAUKEE (barge), RHODE ISLAND (tug), STURGEON (research), TEN­ NESSEE (tug). Note correct spelling of fireboat name is ANTHONY J. CELEBREEZE.