Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
The Islay was owned by Captain Charles McInnis, who also owned the Resort Hotel on Strawberry Island.
McInnis, a former shipmaster on the Great Lakes, purchased the island in 1885 and turned it into a summer resort with a large playground and picnic area, six cottages and a big hotel.
Despite having control of his steamer to ferry passengers to and from the island, the resort failed. In 1910, after the hotel closed, he opened the island for day excursions, organizing ball games, sporting events and other entertainment to attract area residents and businesses.
It was on one of these frequent trips — on Aug. 15, 1912 — that everything seemed to go wrong for the Islay.
Early in the day, when landing on the island as was done many times before, the steamer struck a bridge used to connect the wharves on the island. With the bridge destroyed, the passengers were forced to disembark by scow rather than walk to shore.
One of the scow sank, dumping a load of frock-clad ladies into the water. Eventually people dried off and a pleasant day was spent on Strawberry Island.
Returning home there were three bridges that needed to be opened at The Narrows, all low and all needing to be opened by a bridge crew.
The Islay was always on time and always sounded its horn to alert the bridge crew. It passed safely by the first two bridges but smacked into the third unopened bridge.
Many of the passengers were knocked to the deck but order was soon restored and the crowd got off the boat and, headed by the Citizens Band, marched from the bridge to town.
The Islay made it to town in the morning and although the CPR denied anyone was asleep, considerable questioning went on about how the third bridge did not hear the whistle or see the brightly-lit steamer.
