by Gerry Stefanson
At about 9 p.m. on September 24, 1965, the Suzanne-E, a 70-tonne freight vessel faced a sudden storm and went down in Lake Winnipeg about three kilometres north of Grindstone Point. Only one of the ten aboard survived. Clifford Everett, the sole survivor, said, "The lake, it can be a wicked thing … it can change so fast. Never take it for granted."
Gerry says,
“In my early teens I walked her deck, hired to offload fish. I knew a few of the crew and my dad knew them all as he was a Captain and one of three brothers who owned Stefanson Fisheries. We had coffee with cookies with them and a few others the week she was lost.”
He remembers the Suzanne-E in a poem:
“All Hands-on deck”
was never called
she went down with speed
port side hatch open
short boat, now cargo
half wedged inside
becomes a wooden sail
would the catch sea.
“No Hands-on Deck”
barrels laden on upper decks
high centered for gravity
J.R. Spears warned, Suzanne E. late to heed
chasing brevity
quick spent turn around
as barometer dropped
large waves breaking high-completed nasty deed
she went down
with crew retired below
lake stormed in
thought port hatch hole
“All Hands-Below Deck”
we’re quickly, doubt quietly dispatched
float face down on this inland sea
wheelhouse snapped its stead
joined few crew in water
captain, mate, save wheel master
would float to their after
Christine the cook
drifted to her by and by
young Alan swam for Gull Harbour
never found, he’ll swim forever
captain Johnson at eleven hours
gave to heart attack,
Clifford Everett, made Black Island sand bar,
dragged his captain back.
the sole survivor
“The Hand Off Deck”
Grindstone Point claimed the spot
the Macbeth’s Saturday catch went unpicked up
last sail of the Suzanne E.
loss of nine lives
loss with no dignity
Lake Winnipeg’s greatest
known maritime tragedy
September 24 1965
hats off to all at Grindstone Point
under the water
ships bell rings for them
Cliff will be the last of the crew and cast
to hear it toll
he joined them in 98
a natural fate.
bell sound weighted down
by nine ever wet souls
under the lakes thunder
Booth Fisheries owned
and registered Suzanne E.
never left a memorial
to remember this tragedy
Mothers, Fathers, Daughters, and Sons,
Lovers and all the Loved ones
alone recant their obituary, of the nine gone
shipped into an almost forgotten history
“No Hands Left On Deck”
Poet’s Note – never quite alone,
J.R. Spear waved hello, sailed good by
bearing north as Susanne E. passed.
The Lady Canadian sidled by,
during the dark night, would not hear their cry
all the other lake claimants,
welcomed them home
in the sweet lie and by
Aegir Wept
Sources:
“Requiem for the Suzanne-E: Freighter sank in Lake Winnipeg in September 1965.” In CBC News [website] Sep 25, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/from-the-cbc-archives-requiem-for-the-suzanne-e-1.3244948
“Legend of the Suzanne-E (1965)” in Red River Ancestry [website]. Last Updated: June 03, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.redriverancestry.ca/SUZANNE-E.php