- by Anne Finlay-Stewart

On the eve of her 97th birthday, I had the pleasure of a long leisurely interview with Jay Adamson, fondly known as the “honourary Captain” of the MS Chi-Cheemaun.

From her home at St. Francis Place, she can see the ferry and the ships berthed for the winter in Owen Sound harbour.

Jay was christened Jessie, for her Grannie, and has had a passion for boats from her earliest memory. As a child in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, she was given a small model yacht to sail in the bath, “and I'd wave my arms to make waves and really make her sail.

“I've always lived near, or pretty near, water,” says Jay, moving to Glasgow at 9 1/2 and spending all her holidays with her Grandma in Largs.

She says she loved going down to the pier to watch the ships come and go, and she knew them all. Her grandma would take her for an afternoon cruise on a Caledonia steamer down into the lochs, a shore visit to Tighnabruaich if they liked, and home in time for tea.

In 1960, when her father was getting ready to retire, Jay and her parents decided to take a nine week holiday to Canada, sailing from Glasgow. After a bitter April crossing – thirty-foot waves in an American “Victory” ship converted to carry 45 passengers – the SS “Laurentia” stopped in Quebec City to let new immigrants disembark and carried the Adamsons on to Montreal.

After the holiday – all the way to the huge Douglas firs of north Vancouver Island and back again across the country to their ship home, Jay's father could not stop talking about Canada. They lived in Edinburgh, but one day Jay came home from her job at the bank to the news that they were were moving. Jay asked if she might be able to transfer to another branch of the bank, but her father, ever the tease, said it wasn't likely as their new home was “quite a bit away”.

In August of 1964, her belongings safely packed in Melrose Tea crates (“the very best way to ship, Jay assured me - “not a single thing was broken”), Jay boarded the “Laurentia” once again for a much smoother voyage to a new life in Canada.

After years in Toronto, in the serendipitous way life has, Jay met Agnes Nairn Brown, a former music teacher who had taught at Branksome Hall. Miss Brown was born in Owen Sound, and retired here – she is responsible for the acquisition and care of the Georgian Bay Symphony's beautiful grand piano.

The first time Jay came to visit Agnes in Owen Sound, driving down the 10th Street East hill, through the trees, toward the water, she said to her friend  “I feel like I'm coming home!”

She visited many times, and one day while walking with Agnes and chattering on their way to Marketside for lunch, their friend Margaret caught up with them and said “Jay – how did you miss what I saw?” Margaret had seen a poster for the Chi Cheemaun's spring cruise to Tobermory, and she had ducked into the shop and bought two tickets, never doubting for a moment that Jay would want to go. That was how Jay's love affair with the ferry began.

She made many trips on the Chi Cheemaun after that and eventually gave up her big house in Vaughan for an apartment in Owen Sound.

In 2007, when the City was celebrating its 150th with a big Homecoming, the Chi Cheemaun had been away for two years of major refitting. Jay thought the ferry deserved its own welcome home, and when no one seemed to know if anything was planned, she walked right over to the Mayor's office with her idea.

Mayor Ruth Lovell thought it was a great idea, right down to piping the ship into the harbour, and when the beautiful fall day arrived, piper Charles Meanwell did the honours. The City Band played, the crowd cheered and you can see for yourself – Jay was grinning  from ear to ear.

It's 2905 nautical miles from Edinburgh to Owen Sound, and Jay is still close to the water and the ships she loves.

Happy birthday Jay – one year closer to your letter from the Queen.