On its first official trip a week later, a harbour fireboat attempted to salute the Trillium by turning on its water jets. Thanks to strong winds, the water sprayed onto the Trillium, soaking women adorned in evening gowns and causing the York Lions Steel Band to empty out their drums. “I have never seen a fireboat in operation before,” noted passenger Linda Walden as she dried her hair, “and I never want to see one from that distance again.” Despite the mishap, the band played for two hours afterwards on the first of nearly 70 charters that season.
Additional material from the May 13, 1976 edition of the Globe and Mail, and the May 20, 1976 edition of the Toronto Star.
