Monthly Archives: July 2011

Heritage Lighthouses

History, Information, Lighthouses, , , , , , , , ,

From Parks Canada website on Heritage Lighthouses.

“In May of 2008, Canada adopted a new law that will protect heritage lighthouses, the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act . It came into force on May 29, 2010. Given its expertise in heritage conservation, Parks Canada was assigned responsibility for the implementation of the Act.”

 

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From Heritage BC website:

“Under the federal Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act Canadians can now nominate lighthouses for designation and protection.  There is only a two-year window for the nomination process, however, until May 29, 2012.  Nominations will be considered by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.”

“So far, 56 lighthouses have been nominated, but only three from B.C.:  Point Atkinson, Sisters Islets and Sheringham Point.”

“Heritage BC and the provincial Heritage Branch have provided the federal Heritage Lighthouse Program with a list of community organizations and local governments that may have an interest in the 35 B.C. lighthouses identified by Parks Canada as having nomination potential.  Parks Canada is writing to these organizations and governments to inform them about the nominations process, and to discover if there is an interest in participating in information sessions.  Some sessions have already been held in the Maritimes and more may be scheduled on the west coast in September, if the level of interest warrants.”

For more information, contact Rick Goodacre
rgoodacre@heritagebc.ca

PDF letter LighthouseDesignation_2011-06-29 to Rick Goodacre from Heritage Canada

In answer to the above letter The Land Conservancy of BC wrote:

“Thanks for the reminder and update on this Rick.  The Land Conservancy of BC will be moving forward with a number of nominations in the coming weeks, and we are prepared to help coordinate a holistic approach to figuring out what we can/should be doing with respect to Lighthouse protection over the longer term.  That includes both the nomination process and then the much more detailed and involved process of taking on responsibility for those lighthouses that the Government will be declaring surplus (which is a lot).”

“At this stage, we want to gather information about who is interested in any specific Lighthouse(s).  If your organization, your community or your municipality has a specific interest in protecting the future of a Lighthouse in BC would you please get in touch with us.  Either contact myself or Deborah Hudson at:  ifawcett@conservancy.bc.ca   or  dhudson@conservancy.bc.ca , or call at (250) 479-8053.”

 Thanks everyone,

Ian Fawcett
Deputy Executive Director, TLC
Ph:   (250) 479-8053 or (250) 888-1608
Fax:  (250) 744-2251

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Heritage Lighthouse Program 
(819) 934-9096
www.parkscanada.gc.ca

(cached snapshot of the Parks Canada website here)

(cached snapshot of the BC Heritage website here)

Forward to “Groceries and Mail”

Groceries & Mail, Lighthouses, Old Website, , , ,
Loading groceries onto the helicopter at the CG base

On my old website I wrote the “forward” below for a serious of stories about our groceries and mail – especially the mail! I’ll reprint it here to emphasize the importance of mail again, even in this day and age of computers. Right now I am staying in a small northern BC town. You should see the people going in and out of the Post Office after the mail plane arrives; but they can do it every day that the Post Office is open – on the lighthouse we could not.

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Groceries stuffed into the helicopter

“Some may wonder why the number of stories about re-supplying the lighthouses exceeds the others on this site by a large margin. Next to the family and job, the arrival of the mail and groceries was the most important event in the life of the lightkeeping family.

Imagine no telephone, no television, no two-way radio, possibly no AM radio, no computer, and no contact with the outside world except what you saw going by your window. The post was and still is the most important contact to the real world. 

Unloading the helicopter . . .

Next think of no refridgerators, no freezers, and on some stations, no room for a garden, probably no hunting, and fishing only if the weather is good and the tide not too strong. 

In the early days (1920s – 1950s) food sometimes had to last for six months or more and could arrive damaged. In the early days the ships did not have freezers, so your fresh side of beef could now be many weeks old and growing green as the ship could not deliver the goods because of bad weather, malfunctions, or search and rescue. Even in my years on the lights (1969 – 2001) when we had monthly delivery, supplies would not arrive because the store did not have the item in stock and never thought to substitute another, or they would get soaked in the rain, or seawater.  Continue reading Forward to “Groceries and Mail” →

Coast Guard Humour

Humour, Lighthouses
a Cutter

This humorous story was told me to me by a former US Coast Guard man named Charlie Hannert who emailed me about his life as a lighthouse keeper. All lighthouse keepers in the United States were members of the US Coast Guard and wore uniforms, whereas Canadian lighthouse keepers were not. We worked for the Coast Guard but were not under their jurisdiction. This story does not refer to anything Canadian but is along the lines of the “left-handed monkey wrench” with which many a newbie was fooled..

Everyone knows what a “Cutter” is, don’t they? If not, it is a name for a variety of boats used by the US Coast Guard. Well Charlie was asked . . .  OK, I’ll let him tell it . . .

When I got to my first unit the Chief asked me if I’d like to run the Coast Guard Cutter? Oh boy, I fell for that one hook line and sinker. Of course I said sure Chief. I knew better than to ever volunteer for anything, but? So he took me to the old boathouse and put me in charge of a push lawn mower. It was the Coast Guard’s ‘cutter’ alright!

Thanks Charlie!

Lighthouse History – 07 – Carmanah Point (1888-04-21 to 1908-11-22)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, On The Job, , , , , , ,

The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: “Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.

As I was collecting this information from the newspaper archive website, I noticed that many articles were in consecutive order and applied to Carmanah Point (earlier planned at Bonilla Point), so I collected them all together here. It is a bit long, but interesting, as it describes the building of a lighthouse from the ground up as they say. Take note of the dates at the end of each article. it surely was not done overnight. More extensive information can be obtained from the actual scanned copies of the newspapers themselves on the above website.

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Bonilla Point

 

“From all I [Colonist correspondent] can learn there is every prospect of a lighthouse and signal station being erected at Bonilla Point (eventually at Carmanah Point – ed.) at no distant day….  [Colonist, 1888-04-21]”

 

 

A lighthouse, steam fog alarm and signal and telegraph station will be erected at Bonilla Point. [Colonist, 1888-08-28]”

“William Smith, deputy minister of marine arrived for the purpose of visiting Bonilla Point and San Juan Harbour to determine the most suitable site for a lighthouse at the entrance to the Straits. Mr Gisborne, Superintendent of Government telegraphs will accompany him… [Colonist, 1888-09-02] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 07 – Carmanah Point (1888-04-21 to 1908-11-22) →

Lighthouse History – 06 (1878-07-19 to 1884-10-17)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, On The Job, , , , , , ,

The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: “Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.

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“The party who went to Alberni to survey a lighthouse land reserve have returned. (but which lighthouse? – ed.)They report about 170 Chinese miners at work, only 40 of whom pay the Government tax. [Colonist, 1878-07-19]

Died at Esquimalt, British Columbia, Aug 5, 1879, William Henry Bevis, aged 49, Native of Birkenhead, England, 3rd Son of late Captain Thomas Bevis, RN. Funeral will take place from Fisgard Lighthouse and from the Royal naval cemetery. Keeper of Fisgard lighthouse, deceased came to British Columbia in 1858, previous to which year he was employed in the capacity of purser on steamers running between Panama, Lima and Callao. Shortly after his arrival here he received an appointment in the Revenue Department and was stationed at Langley. In 1860 he accepted a position in the Police Force of this city, but the performance of his duties in this office was of brief duration, as in 1861, when the Fisgard light was first exhibited, he was appointed keeper, a position which he held until the hour of his death. His father was a commander in the English navy. A-Row-12-P-0057 [Colonist, 1879-07-26*]”

“Tender call, Wm. Smith, Deputy Minister of Marine &c., for Fraser River Lighthouse (Sandheads – ed.) [Colonist, 1881-02-16, p. 2]”

“PLUMPER PASS tenders invited for erection of wooden lighthouse (Discovery Island lighthouse – ed.) [Colonist, 1884-03-28, p. 3]”

“Tugboat Pilot with Captain Revely returned to Victoria, British Columbia, having been unable to discover anything of the lighthouse keepers, and the conclusion came to is that he, with his brother and a half-breed, have been drowned. The keeper’s name was H C Fraser, native of Pictou, Nova Scotia, aged 30, unmarried. Half-breed was Frederick Williams, aged c 19, of Metchosin. The pilot brought down the effects of the late keepers. two new keepers have been placed in the lighthouse, which will now beam as usual. The light is situated about five miles from shore where the shallowness of the water renders it very rough in stormy weather. (but which lighthouse? – ed.) [Colonist, 1884-10-17, p.3]”

Lighthouse History – 05 (1873-04-29 to 1874-12-29

Lighthouses, , , , , , , , ,

The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: “Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.

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tender call, Repairs to Tower and Dwelling House at Race Rocks Lighthouse, James Cooper, agent [Colonist, 1873-04-29, p. 2]

tender call, for Lighthouse at Point Atkinson, P. Mitchell, Minister of Marine & Fisheries; on 28th James Cooper, agent for the minister announced he would take prospective tenderers to see the site in the steamer “Sir James Douglas” [Colonist, 1873-11-25, p. 2]

Point Atkinson – contract for lighthouse, Mr. Arthur Finney, Nanaimo, $4,200 [Colonist, 1874-01-18, p. 3]

tender call, Wm. Smith, Deputy Minister of Marine & Fisheries, construction of Lighthouse on Entrance Is. Nanaimo and also in Bereno (Behrens) Island, Victoria Harbour. Plans at office of agent of this Department. [Colonist, 1874-12-29, p. 2]

Cape Scott Lighthouse Today

Beachcombing, British Columbia, Canada, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Photos, Wildlife, , , , ,
Cape Scott lighthouse today

Cape Scott lighthouse is located at the north end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia (BC) Canada. It is situated in Cape Scott Provincial Park.

To quote from the Provincial Park Website:

“Cape Scott Provincial Park is a truly magnificent area of rugged coastal wilderness that is located at the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, 563 kilometers from Victoria.

Established in 1973 and named after the site of a lighthouse that has guided mariners since 1960, Cape Scott is characterized by more than 115 kilometers of scenic ocean frontage, including about 30 kilometers of spectacular remote beaches . . . 

. . .  The lighthouse and the Cape are outside the provincial park boundary and are private property belonging to the Department of National Defence. The old trail and foghorn were built during World War 2 by DND staff to give access to the beach, etc. but as the old structures, boardwalk and suspension bridges deteriorated, they became dangerous and were removed by the Federal Government. BC Parks is not responsible for this trail and not allowed to trespass on this private property.”

The photos were taken by the lighthouse keeper Harvey Humchitt, and his assistant Todd Malezewski. More photos are available here.

VIDEO-The Lighthouse and the Aircraft Carrier

Coast Guard, Humour, Lighthouses, Old Website, Videos, , , , , , , ,

This is based on an actual radio conversation between a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier (U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln) and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. (The radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10/10/95 authorized by the Freedom of Information Act.) 

Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision. 

Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision. 

Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision. 

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again,divert YOUR course. 

Canadians: No, I say again, you divert YOUR course. 

Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES’ ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH–I SAY AGAIN, THAT’S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH–OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP. 

Canadians: This is a Canadian lighthouse. Your call. 

– Author Unknown 

Now this is quite funny, but what is even better is that it is not true and has been around from at least the 1960s according to some websites. Check out the US Navy website where they contradict the “facts”! 

Click the screen below to see a video version of the same joke.

A funny video with a United States warship against a lighthouse, somewhere in the Irish Sea. . .

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It looks like this joke has world-wide acclaim. Here’s a Scottish version . . . 

In the middle of foggy night in the North-west Atlantic…..two lights are heading directly for one another… and on the radio an American voice is heard saying “We suggest you alter course by 10 degrees to port”.

Back comes the reply “We suggest YOU alter course by 10 degrees to port!”

Then the American voice says “This is the battleship USS Missouri leading the American Atlantic battle fleet. You had better alter course by 10 degrees to port.”

Back comes the reply “This is the Outer Hebrides lighthouse, but it’s your call, Jimmy”. 

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and before the days of TV . . . … a 1939 book shows:

The fog was very thick, and the Chief Officer of the tramp steamer was peering over the side of the bridge. Suddenly, to his intense surprise, he saw a man leaning over a rail, only a few yards away.

“You confounded fool!” he roared. “Where the devil do you think your ship’s going? Don’t you know I’ve got the right of way?”

Out of the gloom came a sardonic voice: “This ain’t no blinkin’ ship, guv’nor. This ‘ere’s a light’ouse!”

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And not to be left out, here is a German language version:

 While we are in the German section, might as well add this one too! 🙂

Lighthouse History 04 – Cape Beale (1872-05-29 to 1909-01-23)

Construction, Equipment, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, On The Job, , , , , , , , , ,
Cape Beale

The following extracts taken from early Victoria, British Columbia (BC) newspapers are credited to Leona Taylor for her excellent work in indexing the papers. Full information can be found here: “Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers“, 2007-09.

As I was collecting this information from the newspaper archive website, I noticed that many articles were in consecutive order and applied to Cape Beale, so I collected them all together here. It is a bit long, but interesting, as it describes the building of a lighthouse from the ground up as they say. Take note of the dates at the end of each article. it surely was not done overnight. More extensive information can be obtained from the actual scanned copies of the newspapers themselves on the above website.

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Lighthouse recommended at Cape Beale, will provide a first-class light and powerful fog whistle. [Colonist, 1872-05-29]

 

Steamer Sir James Douglas, with Mr Pearse, will sail for Cape Beale in a few days. Mr Pearse will select a site for the lighthouse to be erected at that point. [Colonist, 1872-10-22]

 

Dominion Government Steamer Sir James Douglas will sail for Cape Beale with Mr Pearse to select a lighthouse site. Cape Beale is a bluff about 125′ in height with a bold rocky shore against which the breakers incessantly beat. Access to the Cape can only be had by going outside the Straits and running into the mouth of Bamfield Creek where a snug little harbor exists. From Bamfield Creek a road or trail about 2 miles in length to the Cape will have to be made. [Colonist, 1872-10-26]

Continue reading Lighthouse History 04 – Cape Beale (1872-05-29 to 1909-01-23) →