The Last Launch: The Rise and Fall of COLLSHIP

Event Details

Event type: All Ages

Community Screening: The Last Launch: The Rise and Fall of COLLSHIP

Join the Collingwood Museum for a special community screening of The Last Launch: The Rise and Fall of COLLSHIP, a five-part docuseries directed and produced by Thomas Stubbington that explores the history, people, and lasting legacy of the Collingwood Shipyards.

Presented in conjunction with the 10th Annual Shipyard Social and the 40th anniversary of the closing of the Collingwood Shipyards, this screening offers an opportunity to reflect on the shipyard’s remarkable history and the people whose work helped shape Collingwood and its waterfront.

Through archival footage, personal stories, and interviews with former shipyard workers, the series traces the shipyard’s evolution—from its early days on the shores of Georgian Bay and its role in Canada’s war effort, to the experiences of the workers who built ships, the tragedy of September 12, 1986, and the transformation of the former yard into the community we know today.

A Q&A session with Thomas Stubbington will follow the screening.

The five episodes include:

Building the Bay — The beginnings of Collingwood’s shipbuilding industry and its transformation of the community.
Turn of the Century — The shipyard’s important contribution to Canada’s war effort.
Steel and Ambition — Former Hull 192 workers share their memories and experiences of life at the yard.
Steel to Silence — First-hand stories surrounding the tragedy of September 12, 1986, and the closing of the shipyard.
The Heart of the Harbour — How the former shipyard is remembered, commemorated, and celebrated today.

All proceeds from the event will support the purchase of the Ursula Heller Photograph Collection. The Ursula Heller Photograph Collection includes 79 rolls of film and over 300 prints that offer rare glimpses into the Collingwood Shipyards in 1978. At a time when the industry faced significant challenges, Ursula chose to document the people behind the ships and the beauty she found in the shipbuilding process. The Collingwood Museum has been accepting donations throughout 2026 to help bring this collection home. 

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