The annual Mariners’ Memorial Service, now in its 101st year, will be conducted by Cressy-Glenora’s Rev’d Aaron Miechkota, who is also South Bay United’s new Minister.

In addition to the church service, renovations to the False Ducks Lighthouse, adjacent to the church at the Mariners Park Museum, will be unveiled this weekend.

Its freshly painted interior is now called the “Suzanne Pasternak Legacy Room.” There is also a new dedication to the 160 sailors who died at False Ducks. New informational panels have been created with input from lighthouse historian Marc Seguin. 

“We are installing a television where people can watch footage of Suzanne’s work,” said County Museums Curator Jessica Chase. “Likely content related to her folk opera, Minerva. Her daughter, Natasha, is selecting what will be featured. The content can be updated regularly. There will be a small display of items connected to Suzanne as well. Local artist Sophie Barber will be painting a quote of Suzanne’s on the wall.”

Dependent on budget, further improvements, to the exterior of the lighthouse, are scheduled for 2025. 

 “A good portion of the repairs to date were made possible because of donations made by folks who attended last year’s Memorial Service and donated in Suzanne’s memory,” notes Ms. Chase.

Rev’d Miechkota stressed that while the Mariners’ service has a long history and legacy to honour, it is also about the present, and staying in touch with the world.

“Sailors’ stories come from a time of very real life. It’s very easy now to live in a virtual world where we merely observe things. But they were living it, feeling the water and air, and spray, and the sun and the rain. This service is going to bring back some of those experiences, those physical things, like the sounds of bells and horns, and remind us of thunder.

“Don’t we need that? People of all ages, but particularly young people, would be really inspired by the world before, the world when it was ‘really real,’ when we made things with our hands and we sailed the waters with our hard-earned expertise—not only sail the boat, but build it, maintain it, and rescue it when it was sinking. Think of the courage that took. Do we ever actually encounter that now in our world?”

She adds that by attending to experience, we are making history. “The Mariners’ Service is a service for today. We look into history, far and recent, but really we’re living it now. We’re remembering people who have died in the last year and we’re celebrating the living culture of life on Lake Ontario, which is what this place is all about.

“We are creating history now by continuing this tradition.”

All are welcome, young and old, islander and mainlander. The service is Sunday 22 September at 1pm at South Bay United.