The idea for SECOND WATCH began when my grandmother gave me a silver sugar spoon. It had been given to her by a friend, a Finnish woman who claimed it was saved from the Titanic. That certainly got my attention! I wanted to know how and by whom. What stories were hidden in that old spoon?

I asked my family in Ontario to find out more about the woman and the spoon. To my amazement, the Titanic wasn’t the only ship to sink in her family’s history. Members of her Finnish immigrant family from Port Arthur (now part of Thunder Bay) died in the wreck of the Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence River.

I had never heard of the Empress of Ireland. I searched the library and internet for information about the steamship, and tracked down out-of-print books. The more I read, the more fascinated I became with the Empress. The origin of the spoon continued to intrigue me, as well. Like most silver spoons, mine has a hallmark of tiny symbols, numbers, and letters on the back. Researching the hallmark revealed where and when it was made. What I learned was a complete surprise! The tale of the spoon contained unexpected twists and turns before ending in mystery once again. I would never know the whole story.

There was nothing more to research about the spoon, but questions kept popping into my head. What could have happened to this spoon? Who might have owned it? What if it had been on a steamship? With my imagination sparked, I began making up answers and inventing a history for the spoon. SECOND WATCH was born. It was a story that had to be told.

“Things. There is so much history in things, and not only those that have a personal relevance. Whether they are natural objects, such as pebbles or bones, or artifacts such as teapots, maps, or feather bonnets, things allow us to engage with history in a way that is far more immediate than the abstract connection offered by the written word. An old plough or an archival photograph triggers a tactile or visual response to the past. No matter how common-place, obsolete, or insignificant, an object can permit our empathy and imagination to vault the gulf of time and recapture vanished experiences.”

Over the years, divers have removed many items from the wreck of the Empress of Ireland. Most of these artifacts belong to private collectors. The Empress of Ireland Artifacts Committee worked hard to raise money to buy important artifacts so they could be donated for public exhibition in Canada.

When Empress of Ireland artifacts toured western Canada in 2004, Karen had the privilege of viewing the historic items. Here she is, wearing period costume, holding a third-class mineral water bottle and deep plate, both salvaged from the wreck, as well as a lime that washed ashore in a crate from the ship.

Here is a link to view additional artifacts.

     Finland Facts

Not only are birthdays celebrated in Finland, but Name Days (Nimipäivät), as well. First names are assigned a date on the calendar on which to be honoured. The Nimipäivät for Saara is July 19.

Reindeer live in the northern part of Finland called Lapland.

Did you know that in 1906 Finland was the first country in Europe to allow women to vote?

The Juhannus (Midsummer) festival is the Saturday between June 20 and June 26. Midsummer’s Eve is a time for traditional food (like crepe-thin Finnish pancakes), music, dancing, and playing games by the light of a giant-sized bonfire called a kokko.