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Season's G r eetings - cont'd. 4. The canals were r e l a t i v e l y free of major acc id en t during the 1993 season, at least up until the time of this writing, and we hope that such rema in s the case throughout the re ma inder of the year. That does not mean, however, that the canals are not troubled, and we cont in ue to w o r r y about the fu ture of our C a n adian waterways. The Canad i a n lock at Sault Ste. Mar ie remai ns closed to traffic, and a l t hough there seems the p o s s i b i l i t y that the new C a n a d i a n feder al g o v e r n ment may assist in the task of ret u r n i n g it to service, any such ope r a t i o n will be of a muc h more "small craft" nature than in the lock's "glory years". And e ven the St. L a w rence Sea wa y A u t h o r i t y is cryi ng the blues, as economic co nd itions have redu c e d traffic (and hence re venues as well) s i g n i ficantly. The maj or m u l t i - y e a r r e s t o r a t i o n pr og ramme for the Well a n d Ship Canal was com p l e t e d last year, and that is ind ee d fortunate, be cause the Seaway has voiced grave dou bt s about its abil i t y to survi ve with o u t the major i n f usion of big dollars, and wit h g overnments r e e l i n g under ma ssive debt loads and bu dget deficits, there seems to be no rea dy source of funds visible on the horizon. There were few rea ll y m a j o r ac ci dents to report du r i n g the 1993 season, apart from the usual st ra ndings and co ll isions w ith lock fender booms, a l t h o u g h the loss of the tug DUKE LUED T K E and a Coast G u a r d s m a n who was aboard her w hen she sank in S e ptember on Lake Erie was a p a r t i c u l a r l y u n f o r t u n a t e misadv enture. The scrap market r e m ained poor and so there was little s c rapping activity. IRVIN L. CL Y M E R was sent to a Duluth scrapyard, and the lo ng-idle C . S . L. ve ss els H O C H E L A G A and FORT ST. LOUIS were d i s p a t c h e d to C o l o m b i a n breakers, but a l t h o u g h it was r u m oured that certain idle U . S. lakers might be towed out late in the season, there had been no mo vement by the time we pen ne d these words. And, speaking of words, it no w is time for us to pass alo ng to you ce rtain words w h i c h m a y seem to be r e petitive and, perhaps, unimagi n a t i v e , a l t h o u g h in r e a l i t y they are noth i n g of the sort, beca us e they come straight from the heart, and are tr otted out again sim pl y be cause they have come to mea n so m u c h and because we can think of no better wa y to speak of the com in g of C h ri stmas and the pa ssage into a ne w and, dare we hope, a be tter year. So here g o e s ... M a n y of our m e m b e r s are c l o s e l y a t t ached to the s h i pping industry, and it is our hope that the 1993 n a v i g a t i o n se ason was for them as pleasant, safe and busy as p o s si ble u nder the current con di ti on s. Des pi te u n c e r t a i n t y over the future, we w i s h them all the best for 1994. Indeed, we hope that the comin g year will be a v ery good one for all of our me mbers and, of course, for the Toro n t o Marine H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y its el f and for "Scanner". But now, as our m e m ories of the long, hot and dr e a m y su mm ertime fade away, as the skies and waters of our Great Lakes take on that fami li ar grey pallo r of w inter and we ascend ladd er s to secure the storm w i n d o w s that wil l keep the n a s t y w e a t h e r on the outside, as the winds rage and the b l o w i n g snows o bscure the horizons, and as the haze rises from the cold waters, the lake ships are s c u r r y i n g to coll ec t and deli v e r their last car go es of the year before they are for ce d to hea d for the cal m and safety of wi n t e r qu arters. We w i s h them all safe passage. And to all of the m any m e m b e r s of our large and s t e a d i l y g r o w i n g and re n ewing family, the To ronto Marine H i s t o r i c a l Society, we take this o p p o r tuni ty to ex tend to all of you our ver y best wishes for a M e r r y C h r i s t m a s and for all p o s s i b l e H a p p i n e s s in the New Year. Take care, dear friends, and m a y 1994 bring to us all a full meas u r e of love, warmth, good h e a l t h and success. * * * * *