Prince Ships of Northern BC: Ships of the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian National Railways,

Contributor to newspapers and magazines in Canada, Britain and United States on travel- and transportation themes.

Author: Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific's greatest ship (Erin: Boston Mills, 1992).

Reviewer for CBRA since 1993.

Passenger and cargo ships of Canadian National and its predecessor,
Grand Trunk Pacific, plied the coast of British Columbia for 65 years.
Strong competition came from Canadian Pacific’s “Princess” ships
and, to a lesser extent, from Union Steamship Co. Still, the
“Princes” survived until 1975, providing an essential service to
coastal residents and businesses. Norman Hacking, a long time marine
editor based in Vancouver, tells of the ships’ problems and successes,
the difficulties of navigating the B.C. coast, accidents caused by bad
weather and inadequate charts, and the ships’ wartime service far from
their home waters.

Almost half of his slender book consists of illustrations. Several
photographs depict Prince Rupert, the northern terminal, but most are of
the ships themselves, some sailing freely, some aground or sinking.
Anecdotes about ships, crews, and passengers are blended with details
about the construction and operation of the vessels, and the financial
constraints that frequently plagued the owners.

Despite its editorial shortcomings (the date given for the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor is 1942), Prince Ships will appeal to passengers
who traveled these routes as well as to those who never sailed in the
ships but still regret their passing.