Preserve Our Wrecks Kingston was founded in the late months of 1980 after the destructive and illegal removal of a large winch from the fore deck of the sailing barge Aloha. This one act of vandalism served to galvanize a group of Kingston divers into heeding the warnings of Rick Jackson. Rick, who had a passion for marine heritage, was as well instrumental in founding POW's sister organization Save Ontario's Shipwrecks (SOS). This core of active divers from a number of Kingston dive clubs became the founding members of POW.
In devising the logo for the new organization it was felt that two points had to be made:
- A forceful message that any willful destruction of our heritage wrecks would not be tolerated; and
- A gentle message of conservation and preservation represented by the old ship softly cradled in a protecting hand.
Today
Our logo has dropped the strong message but kept the old ship cradled in a helping hand theme. However our members are still out there watching for acts of vandalism and theft. Those people caught in such acts can expect swift reaction from an organization dedicated to the protection of our heritage. People who display no respect for the law and other divers can expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the Marine Heritage Act provides for.
For information on how to contact POW click here.