ere

Sa A

28 In Great Waters

and is still standing up to the work in good style with

Scott and Oliver aboard her.

Presbyterian Pioneers and the Loggers’ Mission.
On that memorable day in June, 1925, the Presby-
terians had also their contribution to make to the
United Church Marine Mission, and their story to
tell of brave pioneers.

The honor of being the trail-blazer in the Presby-
terian Loggers’ Mission belongs to Rev. W. J.
Kidd, B.D., now of Okotoks, Alberta. While that
Church had numerous missionaries rendering splen-
did service among scattered groups of settlers and
neighboring camps, they were what might be
called ‘‘shore missionaries.’”’ The logging camps,
in most cases, were not being reached at all. No
missionary or Church had taken up the work,
specially and regularly, of ministering to them.

In 1902 Rev. George A. Wilson, then minister
of Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, was
selected to go to Vananda, a little copper-mining
town on Texada Island, and dispense the sacrament
of the Lord’s Supper. He left Vancouver on Thurs-
day so as to reach his destination in time for “ pre-
paratory service,’’ but a bad south-easter was blow-
ing and the skipper of the old steamboat Cassiar
would not attempt a landing at Vananda. Dr.
Wilson was therefore taken along on the boat’s full
circuit north and landed at Vananda on Saturday
on her return trip. What he saw on that voyage led
him to give an address to his congregation in which