It was with great sadness that, just as we went to press with this issue, we learned of the death at Kingston, Ontario, on Saturday, March 26th, of Nelson James Wilson, a long-time member of the Toronto Marine Historical Society. He had celebrated his 55th birthday on January 12th and was taken ill only two days before his passing.

Nels was a lifelong resident of the Portsmouth area and was an active observer of the shipping scene. During the 1940's he had worked on the Sin-Mac tug RIVAL and salvage barge COBOURG and in 1948 and 1949, her last two years of service, he was a fireman on the C.P.R. steamer MANITOBA. He was a founding member of the Kingston Marine Society and worked very hard in his efforts for that group. For several years he wrote a regular marine historical column for the Kingston Whig-Standard.

Nels was a regular and enthusiastic correspondent who contributed much to these pages over the years. He was also a very good friend. We shall sorely miss both his support and his friendship. To his family and to his many close friends in the Kingston area, we extend our most heartfelt sympathy. We can only wish that there were more like Nels Wilson in this world.

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