The activities of this Society, much like everyone’s lifestyle and movements were severely curtailed with first the arrival of COVID, and then its prolonged effects which are still being felt today in the form of different variants of the virus. Not long after the virus was declared to be a pandemic in early 2020 port visits by Cunard vessels and other cruise ships were initially curtailed and then prohibited around the world. Cunard ships were taken out of service and home-ported for many months until gradually resuming service. The Society’s activities were impacted but not entirely arrested during the worst of the Covid years and have now, like the ships of the line, resumed operations. Despite the unprecedented effects of Covid, the Cunard renaissance has continued and with it, the activities of the Society.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia

In September of 2024 arrangements were concluded with the Public Archives of Nova Scotia to transfer fifty years of accumulated Cunard research materials from the CSS Chairman’s personal collection into what now will form ‘the Langley fond’ at PANS. During the past number of years steps have been taken to preserve the different elements of the Chairman’s personal Cunard collection in perpetuity. To that end, three repositories were chosen – the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia which received 3-D or physical pieces of Cunard ephemera; the Cunard Archives at the University of Liverpool, UK which received a large volume of papers, documents and related materials and finally the Public Archives in Halifax, Nova Scotia which now holds a large collection of the donor’s Cunard research files.

Now there are three inter-connected sources of Cunard heritage materials which when indexing is completed may be cross-referenced and accessed via the internet. It is appropriate and fitting that this accumulation of Cunard heritage material has found its way to Liverpool, England- Cunard’s ‘spiritual home’ …and Halifax, Nova Scotia – Cunard’s ‘ancestral home’ where it shall be preserved for future generations. History has repeated itself. Cunard’s two original homeports of Liverpool and Halifax are joined once …where it all began 185 years ago.

Sydney Jones Library (Cunard Archives), University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England.

Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Special invitation regalia for those attending the formal naming of Cunarder Queen Anne at Pierhead in Liverpool, UK June 3, 2024

Following years of great anticipation, Cunard’s fourth ship and another Royal Monarch, Queen Anne joined the fleet in January and began service with three inaugural cruises in May, the second of which was a fourteen day ‘British Festival Voyage’ – a circumnavigation of the British Isles. The voyage had many highlights the most spectacular of which was a formal naming ceremony held at Liverpool’s Pierhead on June 3, 2024. It represented another Cunard first when it was held outdoors with hundreds of thousands in attendance to witness the first time in which a city- in this case, Cunard’s ‘spiritual home’ of Liverpool- was bestowed the honour of naming this newest Cunarder.

Some of the crowd of thousands of onlookers for the naming of Queen Anne, shown anchored off Pierhead in Liverpool.	The super magnum of champagne which was launched on a wire from the bridge to break on the bow during the formal naming of Queen Anne.
Special cake displayed in the Grand Lobby of Queen Anne to celebrate the coming into service of the newest Cunard Monarch of the Seas.	CSS Chairman enjoying a tour of the bridge with Queen Anne’s deck officers during the British Isles Festival Voyage.

CUNARD FOUNDER ASSUMES A GREATER PRESENCE ABOARD FLAGSHIP

Society Chairman John G. Langley, K.C and son Adam pictured here with larger than life portrait of Haligonian Samuel Cunard aboard QM2.

Cunard’s QM2 resumed normal service with a World Cruise in 2023. Just prior to departing Southampton arrangements between Cunard and the Society culminated in the placement of an eight- foot portrait of company founder Samuel Cunard in the central foyer of the flagship, a large- scale reproduction of the original oil painting by American artist Albert G. Hoit and part of a collection held at the Public Archives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

TWO CELEBRATORY EVENTS IN MAY OF 2023

BOA80

CSS Chairman with Captain Ian McNaught and his wife Susan at reception for BOA80 held in Liverpool City Hall.

During the Covid years Society Chairman John G. Langley, K.C. was invited to become a Vice Patron, representing Canada (RCN) on the Liverpool, UK based Battle of Atlantic Memorial Trust, a not-for-profit association mandated to prepare and oversee arrangements to celebrate the 80^th anniversary of the decisive WW2 Battle of the Atlantic. HRH Princess Anne was Patron and the Chairman was Ian McNaught, since retired Deputy Master of Trinity House and former and last Captain of QE2. Events over the course of three days were held in the brilliant sunshine of Liverpool’s Pierhead during the latter part of May.

CSS Chairman with Gary Reddy (right), CDR of HMCS Sackville and Robert (Bob) Stewart, Trustee of Canadian Navy Memorial Trust at memorial (Drum Head) service and wreath-laying ceremony held in front of the Cunard Building on the Liverpool waterfront.

Vice Patron John G. Langley, K.C. with Pamela ‘Boud’ Brown, BOA80 organizer during a reception held aboard the host naval vessel, the British frigate HMS Defender.

25th ANNIVERSARY OF CUNARD STEAMSHIP SOCIETY

The Cunard Steamship Society was incorporated May 29, 1998, exactly twenty-five years to the day before the BOA80 Drum Head service held on Liverpool’s Pierhead May 29, 2023.

Being in Liverpool afforded the opportunity for CSS Chairman to revisit the Cunard Archives located at the University of Liverpool and meet up again with Curator Sian Wilks and assistant Elizabeth Williams who in 2019 were instrumental in arrangements culminating in the donation of materials which now form ‘the Langley Collection’ in the Cunard Archive.

CSS Chairman discussing ‘the Langley Collection’ and the 25th Anniversary of the Cunard Steamship Society at the Cunard Archives at the University of Liverpool with Archivist Sian Wilks in May of 2023.

CSS Chairman reviewing some of the materials from ‘The Langley Collection’ at the Cunard Archives with Assistant Archivist Beth Williams in May of 2023.

Scott Armour McCrea (right) received the Sixth Annual Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision, Courage and Creativity in Halifax, NS. McCrea is pictured with John Risley, a former recipient of the Prize.

Each year since 2015 Cunard Line in conjunction with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation has hosted an event aboard Queen Mary 2 in Halifax, the ‘ancestral home’ of the company to honour its founder, Haligonian Samuel Cunard. The recipient who is deemed to embody Cunard’s exemplary entrepreneurial skills of ‘vision, courage and creativity’ is presented with a magnificent piece of Nova Scotian made crystal in a lavish reception and luncheon aboard the flagship.

Unfortunately, Covid resulted in the cancellation of this event in 2020 and 2021. Undaunted, Cunard and its partners persisted and, while the ship was still unable to be the venue for the event, the Sixth Annual Samuel Cunard Prize function took place in the Juno Room of the Royal Canadian Navy in Halifax – the first time it was held ashore when Nova Scotian entrepreneur Scott McRea received the award.

Fred Smithers (second from left) photographed with the Seventh Annual Samuel Cunard Prize crystal presented at Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Appearing with the award winner are John Hennigar-Shuh, President of the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation, Jackie Chase, North American Public Relations Director for Cunard Line and John G. Langley, K.C., Chairman of Cunard Steamship Society and Director of CMHF.

The effects of the pandemic were still being felt a year later and again, Covid restrictions prevented the Seventh Annual Samuel Cunard Prize event from being held aboard the QM2. Instead the 2022 function was hosted and held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic In Halifax on October 1, 2023 with this year’s award going to local marine magnate Fred Smithers.

John G. Langley, K.C. (left) with Kim Reinhardt, Director of Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Aseem Hashmi,

Participants including Cunard’s Captain Hashmi and Jackie Chase on a tour of Halifax hosted by CSS Chairman and shown here in Point Pleasant Park looking over a National Historic Sites and Monuments Board plaque commemorating Halifax’s Samuel Cunard.

The year 2024 witnessed a retrenchment of the Covid pandemic and resumption of service and schedules of the ships of the Cunard Line. For the first time in five years the Samuel Cunard Prize event returned to the familiar and elegant Queens Room aboard Queen Mary 2. The customary reception and luncheon were held aboard the flagship in Halifax on September 25, 2024 when the Eighth Annual Samuel Cunard Prize was presented to this year’s winner, Blair McKeil.

2024 Samuel Cunard Prize recipient Blair McKeil giving an acceptance speech in Queens Room aboard QM2.

Cunard Steamship Society Chairman and Director of Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation presenting QM2 Captain Andrew Hall with a copy of Steam Lion- a biography of Samuel Cunard from the author.

John G. Langley, K.C. and son Adam Langley photographed with Jackie Chase, Director of Publicity for Cunard North America following the awards event.

Paper ephemera from Langley Collection begins its journey from Baddeck, Cape Breton to Liverpool, UK. Halifax ship’s agency rep photographed with the boxed materials ready for transport to Halifax for loading aboard Queen Mary 2.

2019 marked the culmination of arrangements between Cunard Line and John G. Langley, Q.C., Chairman of the Cunard Steamship Society for the gifting of a large collection of paper ephemera from the Langley collection to Cunard Line for archiving at the Cunard Archives, University of Liverpool in England. The CSS Chairman and his wife were guests aboard Queen Mary 2 when it transported this historic collection from Halifax to Southampton in late July. The donor then spent a number of days with the archivist in the Cunard archive reviewing and cataloguing the materials which will now form a significant addition to the already substantial Cunard Archive at the University in Liverpool.

John G. Langley, Q.C. reviewing donated materials with archivist Beth Williams at Cunard Archives, University of Liverpool, England in August, 2019.

Zita Cobb, recipient of Fifth Annual Samuel Cunard Prize addressing the gathering in Queen’s Room aboard Queen Mary 2.

The flagship Queen Mary 2 was the setting in Halifax, Nova Scotia where a large group of dignitaries and invited guests gathered to celebrate the entrepreneurial genius of company founder and Haligonian, Samuel Cunard. The honouree for this year’s Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision, Courage and Creativity was Zita Cobb, Founder and CEO of Shorefast Foundation while the Samuel Cunard Innovative Spirit Award was presented to Sandra Greer, former President and CEO of Amirix Systems Inc.

This event, sponsored by the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Cunard Line is held annually aboard Queen Mary 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Participants in the 2019 Samuel Cunard Prize event. From the left: Captain Christopher Wells; Hon. Kelly Regan; John G. Langley, Q.C., Zita Cobb; Halifax Mayor Mike Savage; Sandra Greer; Hon. Bernadette Jordan; Wayne Myles; John Young, Q.C., and John Risley.

Aerial view of Queen Elizabeth, followed by Queen Mary 2 treating Haligonians to an historic sail-away from Halifax harbour July 26, 2019.

July 26, 2019 was a special day in Halifax, the ancestral home of Cunard Line. Here, for the first time two Cunard Queens – the flagship Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth – met and berthed end to end at Pier 21. The historic occasion was commemorated by a special ‘sail away’ during which, led by harbour mascot Theodore Tugboat, first Queen Elizabeth, followed by Queen Mary 2 performed a 90 minute circle around the harbour accompanied by an Irving tug which added to the spectacle with her water cannon.

Cunard Line flagship Queen Mary 2 following Queen Elizabeth out of Halifax harbour in an historic meeting of the two Queens in Halifax, July 26, 2019.