Page 43 - Georgina Island
P. 43
Our Stories
Dangerous Crossing
by Sandra Big Canoe
t was a summer day on May 30, 1985. My I started to pray for our safety. Eric yelled at
eight-year-old daughter, Donna, and I were someone to throw out the anchor, but it would
coming home from a shopping trip. The not hold. It seemed like an hour, but it was
Iwind had picked up and we were on the only a few minutes before the terrible storm
mainland, getting ready to catch the ferry to passed. We were all scared and soaking wet,
Georgina Island. but grateful to have survived.
There were about 25 people crowded on the Most of the community was waiting for us
ferry with their groceries. There were babies, on shore as we neared the island dock. Every
school children, seniors, and adults. We even family on the island had a member on the
had a mattress being held steady by some of boat that day. What a near tragedy! Later
the men on the back of the boat! on, we discovered that a tornado had hit the
town of Barrie, and had passed right by us on
We had already started out when the rain
Lake Simcoe.
began. Thunder started to rumble in the sky.
Eric Charles, the boat driver, thought we could Sometimes it takes a close call like this to
beat the storm, but we got caught right smack make you realize how precious our home and
in the middle of it. It was blowing so hard that community is to us.
Eric could not steer the ferryboat. Everyone
was scared. I was fearful for my daughter, who
was so little. I put a life preserver on her.
The rain was so heavy, we could not see two
feet in front of us. The boat was rolling from
side to side and I thought we would tip over
and drown.
Georgina Island First Nation 41
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