The Department of Public Works has awarded the contract for dredging in the River Thames to W. E. Phin, Welland.

The Public Works Department, will issue tenders to July 5 for the construction of a breakwater at Bare Point, Port Arthur.

The steamboat City of New York, owned in Cobourg, is reported to have been sold to Toronto parties for use in the sand trade.

The contract for dredging from the eastern channel into Ashbridge's Bay, Toronto, has been awarded to R. Weddell and Co., Trenton.

The Ontario and Quebec Navigation Co., Ltd., has been licensed to carry on its business in Ontario with B. H. Hepburn, Picton, as its attorney.

The Dundas board of works received tenders, June 25, for the dredging of the Desjardins canal, involving the removal of 27,500 cub. yds. of material, the work to be completed by Sept 1.

The Inland Lines steamboat Dunelm which ran ashore towards the close of navigation last year, has been completely repaired and overhauled at Port Arthur, and left the dry dock June 8.

The Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester Ry.'s steamboat Olcott arrived at Toronto for the first time, June 3. She is making two trips daily between Toronto and Olcott Beach, connecting with the company's lines to Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y.

M. J. Haney has applied to the Toronto city council for an extension of his lease from 21 years from Oct. 1, 1908, of the waterfront property between Jarvis and West Market Sts., at an annual rental of $667.20. He proposes to add to the wharf, at a cost of $25,000.

The annual meeting of the Thousand Islands Steamboat Co. was held at Cape Vincent, N.Y.. June 6. R. Crawford, President, was appointed also General Manager in place of W. J. Douglas, [p. 697] resigned, and the other officers were reelected.

W. J. Douglas, heretofore General Manager, Thousand Islands Steamboat Co., and St. Lawrence River Steamboat Co., Kingston, is reported to have been appointed General Freight Agent, Southern Pacific Co.'s Steamship Department at Seattle, Wash.

The Trotter Wrecking Co., Amherstburg, has been awarded $7,500 for salving the Superior Charcoal Iron Co.'s steamboat Chauncey Hurlbut, after grounding near Amherstburg in 1906. The matter has been before the courts for some time.

The Public Works Department is reported to have purchased the lower end of Victoria Island, in the Ottawa River for the construction of a shipyard for building barges, tugs, etc., for its business on the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers and the Great Lakes.

The Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Navigation Co.'s steamboat Lakeside has been sold to M. J. Hogan, contractor. Port Colborne. The price paid is said to be $10,000. She will be used for conveying supplies in connection with various lake improvement contracts.

The Montreal Transportation Co.'s steamboat George Davy struck on the lighthouse shoal near Clayton, N.Y., June 13, and sank in 50 ft. of water. The cargo of 50,000 bush, of grain has been pumped out, and the vessel is to be raised. Divers reported that several plates were pierced.

The Public Works Department has commenced surveys in reference to the proposed power development plants at Cedar Rapids and other points on the St. Lawrence. Data are to be collected and a commission appointed to report on the effect such plants will have on navigation generally.

The Toronto board of control had under consideration, June 7, the formation of a new Harbor Commission under the recent legislation. A number of names were submitted, but as it was stated that no work to improve the harbor could be undertaken this year, the whole matter was deferred.

Surveys are under way providing for a route for the proposed new Welland canal. It is proposed to deepen the waterway from Port Colborne to the height of land and then run west to the present canal along the ravine and through St. Catharines to Port Dalhousie. Plans and estimates are expected to be ready in the fall.

The Cornwall and Montreal Navigation Co.'s steamboat Filgate was destroyed by fire recently at Valleyfield, Que. She was built in 1879, and was originally used by the C.P.R. as a ferry between Caughnawaga and Lachine, and was later used between Montreal and St. Helen's Island. She was valued at about $25,000. and was insured for $5,000.

The Rainy River Navigation Co.'s steamboats Keenora and Agwinde commenced operations for the season between Kenora and Fort Frances June 17. The running of these vessels has been considerably interfered with during the past two years owing to low water at the mouth of the Rainy River, but a large amount of dredging has been carried out there recently.

The Lake Carriers' Association announced the opening of a new channel to relieve congestion in the main channel of the Detroit River during dredging. Masters of vessels are instructed not to exceed a draught of 15.5 ft. either up or down, over Ballard's reef, and to take the new channel, which is 200 ft. wide, east of the main channel, and marked by five spar buoys.

Muir Bros'. Dry Dock Co., Ltd., has been incorporated under the Ontario Companies Act, with a capital of $90,000, and office at Port Dalhousie, to carry on the business of building, owning and operating dry docks and vessels of all descriptions. The incorporators are W. C. and J. F. Muir, Port Dalhousie; G. P. Muir, Gleichen, Alta.; R. M. Muir, Detroit, Mich.; A. B. Muir, New York City, and H. D. O. Kingstone, Montreal.

The Northern Steamship Co.'s s.s. North West, which runs between Buffalo, Chicago and Duluth, in conjunction with the s.s. North Land, was heavily damaged by fire while moored at her dock in Buffalo, N.Y., June 3. She was being overhauled for the season's business. Reports state that the interior was destroyed, leaving only the steel hull, and that the damage amounts to about $500,000.

The Department of Railways and Canals has awarded the contract for improving the Port Colborne entrance to the Welland canal to M. J. Hogan, Port Colborne. The work consists of widening the 22 ft. channel into the inner harbor, and the lengthening of the mooring dock west of the Government elevator. The widening of the channel consists entirely of rock excavation. The material taken out will be used to widen the piling at the rear of the west pier.

The U.S. Lake Survey reports the levels of the Great Lakes, in feet above tidewater, for May, as follows'— Superior, 600.90; Michigan and Huron, 579.70; Erie, 571.87; Ontario, 245.60. As compared with the average May levels for the past 10 years, Superior was 1.34 ft., below; Michigan and Huron, 1.16 ft. below; Erie. 0.76 ft. below, and Ontario, 1.13 ft. below. During June it was anticipated that Superior would rise 0.3 ft., Michigan, Huron and Erie 0.2 ft., and Ontario 0.1 ft.

The Ontario and Quebec Navigation Co.'s steamboat Geronia was launched at Collingwood June 7. She is of the following dimensions: length. 219 1/2 ft.; breadth, 42 ft.; depth, 11 1/2 ft., and is of steel throughout, sheathed with rock elm at the bottom. The hull is divided into six watertight compartments. The staterooms are all outside rooms, and the dining salon has seating capacity for 120. The machinery, which is located amidships, consists of quadruple expansion engines, supplied with steam by two Scotch marine boilers at 250 lbs. pressure, driving a screw.

The Dalhousie Navigation Co.. Ltd., the incorporation of which we announced in our last issue, was formed for the purpose of owning the steamboat Dalhousie City, which will be operated under lease by the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Navigation Co. The companies mentioned are controlled by Mackenzie, Mann and Co., Ltd., Toronto.

The steamboat Dalhousie City, a detailed description of which was given in our last issue, was launched at Collingwood, June 24, the christening ceremony being performed by Miss Mary Hanna, daughter of D. B. Hanna, Third Vice President, C.N.R., and President, Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Navigation Co.