On to Pointe au Père!
Pointe au Père. Every day ships traveling to and from Quebec City pass through the chilly waters of the St. Lawrence River and past this breathtaking view. Ships carrying valuables into or out of the Atlantic Ocean... They all pass Pointe au Père.

Without a sound they pass by the resting place of Empress of Ireland. None stop. Perhaps some onboard these passing vessels remember. Surely the seasoned sailors of this Canadian waterway know the tale of the tragedy that befell the Canadian Pacific steamer on May 29, 1914. Alas, this sad lady lays on the riverbed, slowly withering away as life continues in the world above. For my companions and I, however, life was revolving around Empress of Ireland as we drove up the road towards Pointe au Père.





We arrived at the Musèe de la Mer early in the morning to deliver the compass. The lighthouse, nearly 100 years old, stands 119 feet high, if I remember correctly. A small house, converted accordingly, serves as the museum. The Empress of Ireland Pavilion sits across the road from the lighthouse and the museum itself. The pavilion is paneled in aluminum. Two funnels and an angled front edge give it the distinct shape of a steam ship. The lobby area intersects the building between the funnels, with the "aft" portion tilted to starboard, giving an impression of the last few moments of Empress of Ireland. You have to see it first hand to truly appreciate it, but hopefully the pictures will do it justice.


Dianne, Chris, Edith and I took pictures outside the museum. We posed with the compass and met with the museum staff. With heavy hearts, we handed over the compass to be placed on exhibit. I guess I had grown a little attached to it. In the month that I had it at my house, I was proud to share its story with anyone who visited. During a cookout we had a week before I left, I found myself with a captive audience as I told my guests the tale of Empress of Ireland. It was heart-wrenching to know that I would probably never touch the compass again. In such a short time it had become such an important part of my life. It was the reason we were all here, having traveled thousands of miles collectively to be at this museum. It was hard to let go, while at the same time a source of great pride knowing that I had helped return this piece of history to its rightful home.





               




The serenity of this place makes it hard to believe its connection to such a horrible tragedy. Standing at the base of the lighthouse, Chris and I discussed the surreal nature of the moment. Here we were, two people who would have never crossed paths had it not been for my Web site, and we were standing together on the shore of the St. Lawrence, looking out at the spot where Empress of Ireland went down. For each of us it was a dream come true.

Our reverie was interrupted by Dianne, who insisted that we visit the gift shop before returning to the hotel to change for the ceremony. After spending a small fortune, we returned to Rimouski with less than an hour to spare before having to be back at the museum.

Next: "Dedication Ceremony"