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Page 6 WESTVANCOUVERHISTORICALSOCIETY November 1993 VANCOUVER AS A CRUISE SHIP CENTRE By: Anne Vernon Guest Speaker at our September Gen eral Meeting was Mr. Dean Miller, ofMUler and Leonard Advertising and Public Relations Inc. Dean has had many eminent clients through the years. Among favourite PR accounts he handles himselffis Princess Cruises, the marketing subsidiary ofP&O Lines of London England. He spoke on the 'Evolution of Vancouver as a World Class Passenger Liner and Cruise Ship Centre'. He claims West Vancouver is the greatest place for ship watchers, and most of the audience agreed, so when he spoke of the early liners which from the beginning of the century made regular runs from Vancouver across the Pacific, happy memories were stirred. Dean has obviously had a long love-affair with ships for much of his life, especially the large liners, and he shared this affection with us all. Some main points - the original Beaver, the first steamship on our coast, was eventually wrecked on Siwash Rock: the CPR's Princess Victoria - the speed queen of the Gulf of Georgia for over 30 years: the Empress of India which made her maiden voyage to Vancouver in the same year other Empresses - China and Japan also called here: the Empresses of Russia and Asia who both saw much service in WWI (two beautiful Empresses that did return from the war): he described the spaciousness of these early liners with their beautifully appointed cabins and public rooms: Woodwards' staff picnic of 1924 on Lady Alexandra: Pacific speed record held for many years by the Empress of Japan: The Orient Line and the P&O joined forces after WWn to link Vancouver with 50 ports aroimd the world with a peak of 36 visits here in the mid sixties. All the old names came flooding back - the Aorangi, Orcades, Orsova, Himalaya, Arcadia, then in the 60's the new breed of liners - Oriana and Canberra (who served with distinction in the Falklands War). But lifestyles changed and flying became the thing. The change was made to short cruising and in the 70's P&O bought up ships and began the Alaska cruises in earnest - The Spirit of London and the Fair Sea at the beginning then the Princesses were built and were very successful. It is now Alaska in the summer months and much further afield in winter. Now there are six Princesses in the Alaska trade and larger ships are coming. West Van's long-lived fascination with ship watching will never fade as long as workaday vessels, the few military ships and the cruise liners continue to sail in and out under Lions Gate Bridge! Editor's Note: We have had a late note from the Membership Director to say that following this presentation both Mr. and Mrs. Dean Miller joined our Society. Welcome to you both! Feature Speakers-Needed! Do you know of smneone having a special insight into our past; someone willing to be a Guest Speaker? Call our Program Chair, Jim MacCarthy at 922-0989. EMPRESS OF JAPAN (II): drydock, Esquimau, B.C. -1930 Rioto D. Miller