Collingwood Historical Society

06/05/2026

In the June edition of Stories of Collingwood David Vuckson reviews the state of Great Lakes shipping and shipbuilding as reflected by the Collingwood Shipbuilding Company.

WORLD WAR I AT THE COLLINGWOOD SHIPBUILDING COMPANY—H. David Vuckson

06/03/2026

Our first fundraising dinner of the year is coming quickly! Be sure to get your tickets for a fun night of good food and great music!

05/08/2026

Second try!
From the arrival of the railway in 1855, Collingwood's waterfront, as well as its downtown, experienced a series of significant and catastrophic fires. David Vuckson, in his May edition of Stories of Collingwood, traces the impacts of these events fire on Collingwood's waterfront

FIRE AT THE HARBOUR FREIGHT SHEDS!--H. David Vuckson

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Join me tonight at Beechwood, Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services in for my talk, "Voices of our Naval Veterans" at 7 pm!
I will discuss the interviews with the survivors from HMCS TRENTONIAN. Their stories of service during the .

FREE to attend, click link to register! https://zurl.co/PIzcx

05/06/2026

From the arrival of the railway in 1855, Collingwood's waterfront, as well as its downtown, experienced a series of significant and catastrophic fires. David Vuckson, in his May edition of Stories of Collingwood, traces the impacts of these events fire on Collingwood's waterfront

04/02/2026

The April edition of David Vuckson's Stories of Collingwood recounts the tragic events of October 16, 1968 when an explosion rocked the Norman P. Clement under repair at the Collingwood Shipyards.

DISASTER AT THE SHIPYARD—THE NORMAN P. CLEMENT EXPLOSION - H. David Vuckson

03/02/2026

The March Stories of Collingwood marks David Vuckson's 10th anniversary of writing for the Society. For the past decade he has kept us all informed and entertained. The Society cannot thank David enough for sharing his talents for research and storytelling.

03/02/2026

The March 2026 Stories of Collingwood features another sea captain who called Collingwood home. George Henry Playter 1854-1943 sailed the Great Lakes for over half a century starting at age 17 in the early 1870’s to his retirement 1926. 1913. Captain Playter's obituary summed up his life as a Mariner:

In his years on the water he had many battles with a maddened Neptune but he always came through. He was quiet, never boisterous, and always did every thing deliberately and thoughtfully. His nerve was strong and no sea battle ever put him out.

CAPTAIN GEORGE HENRY PLAYTER (1854-1943)—H. David Vuckson

02/01/2026

CAPTAIN "BLACK PETE" CAMPBELL, A LEGEND IN HIS TIME.
In the second half of the 19th Century the railway was one half of the transportation equation, the other half was the multitude of wooden steamships which carried passengers and freight.
One man who was prominent in this pioneer era of shipping was Peter McLean Campbell (Sr.) 1845-1915. Campbell got his nickname “Black Pete” because of his dark hair and beard.
In his February 2026 Stories of Collingwood, David Vuckson brings the fascinating story of Captain Campbell to life!

CAPTAIN BLACK PETE CAMPBELL, A LEGEND IN HIS TIME—H. David Vuckson