More than eighty years after the Second World War, two life jackets worn by the late Maurice Atkins have been donated to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria, B.C. Both artifacts were originally gifted to author Dan Black who conducted several interviews with Mr. Atkins during the research phase of his 2025 book …
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As the year closes out, I want to thank the folks who supported the various book talks and signings for Oceans of Fate. From the book’s initial launch at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Victoria to the more recent talk at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, the work would not …
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Big, big thanks to the staff at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, in particular Jenny Nodelman and Andrew Aulenback. Also kudos to my good friend and fellow author John Boileau, Global TV Halifax Morning Show host Paul Brothers, CityNews Radio Morning Anchor Dan Ahlstrant, and my publisher Dundurn Press. The Global TV …
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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 …
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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 …
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