Artifactually_Ferries THE COBOURG FERRIES A third benefit provided by the OCFC ferries, which were based in Cobourg, was the employment opportunities for local residents, including students. In 1934, for example, the company reported that it had 96 year-round employees. This increased to 115 or even 118 in the summer when additional deck hands and waiters were hired. 30 to 40 staff were needed to operate each ferry. Captain And Crew - The Key To Success "Almost all the crew were Canadian citizens, and almost all were men. Ruth Elder was one of the few women who worked on Ontario No.2 during the 1940s. She was in charge of the Housekeeping Department and her preserve was the care and cleanliness of the staterooms (including, we presume, #10). People often rented these rooms for the purpose of hosting a party and frequently bequeathed a considerable mess following such an event. It was the job of Housekeeping to ensure that the staterooms were in proper order prior to the next voyage. Fondly remembered as a mother �gure to the younger stewards, Ruth kept their uniforms in proper state and would sew on buttons as needed." The dining crew provided food not only to passengers but to staff as well, all of whom had their own dining areas including the firemen's mess and ones for the officers and junior officers. The captain ate at the captain's table with the purser, first mate and chosen guests. Boiler Crew (11) Dining Crew (11) Captain & M ates (3) Housekeeping (4) Purser/"Sparks"/ Helm sm an (3) Deck Hands (5) Engineers (3) ! Deck Hands & Fire Hole Crew: Courtesy 'Doc' Beatty Chief Steward & Crew