Hope you can join us in Lyndhurst, Ontario, for a signing at the Lyndhurst Branch of the Leeds and Thousand Island Public Library. The event is part of the popular Turkey Fair, which draws thousands of visitors to the Eastern Ontario village.
Dr. Raymond Chong recently visited Vancouver, where–with “tremendous melancholy”–he stood on the bustling waterfront trying to picture his father’s arrival on the Empress of Asia in April 1932. His father, Gim Suey Chong, was just a boy when he set foot in Canada. His long and risky voyage across the Pacific and into Canada and …
Continue reading "Poem For A Father’s Journey to Gold Mountain"
Dated December 6, 1932, this postcard showing the Empress of Asia was addressed to a Mr. A.Y. Brown of Acton, Ontario. The initials of the sender appear to be A.S. Friend and researcher Glenn Wright was attending a postcard show in Merrickville, Ontario, when he made the find while “browsing ships.” The postcard didn’t make …
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Nice crowd on hand for the book launch hosted by The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 245, in Merrickville, Ont., April 22, 2025.
With Maritime Museum of British Columbia Events Coordinator Anya Zanko at the March 14, 2025, West Coast book launch in Victoria, B.C.
British Columbia Book Launch for Oceans of Fate, Friday, March 14th, Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Victoria. The event begins at 3 p.m. Book signing for Oceans of Fate, Sunday, March 16, Indigo bookstore, Robson Street, Vancouver. The event begins at 12 noon and runs until 5 p.m. Eastern Ontario Book Launch for Oceans of …
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The October/November 2024 issue of Canada’s History Magazine features a separate article I wrote on the last hours of the Empress of Asia. The magazine can easily be subscribed to or purchased where magazines are sold. Meanwhile, the release date for the book Oceans of Fate: Peace and Peril Aboard the Steamship Empress of Asia …
Continue reading "Big Thanks to Canada’s History Magazine"
Very grateful to Dr. Catherine Paterson, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Regional Manager for Canada and the Americas who has told me that the long-awaited headstones for Chinese Labour Corps members Han Hsiang T’ai (Han Xiangtai, No. 31277) and Chang Hsueh P’u (Zhang Xuepu, No. 51100) have been installed at Quebec City (Mount Hermon) Cemetery. …
Continue reading "New Headstones in Quebec City for two Chinese Labour Corps Men Who Died en route to France"
Early Reviews for Oceans of Fate “The challenge when writing about a ship is not just to find personal stories but to weave them into a compelling narrative that keeps the reader turning the pages…. Black has done a meticulous job of unearthing diaries, journals, and personal letters and photographs of both crews and passengers, …
Continue reading "Book Reviews and a Nice New Promotional Cover Graphic from Dundurn Press"
When writing or recording history it is always useful to understand that what you capture will in no way come close to being the definitive record. History or the telling of it is not some long-dead event frozen in the past, but an evolution of material and artifacts unearthed through ongoing research and the openness …
Continue reading "Fascinating Logbook On The Chinese Labour Corps"