On January 26, 2012 the Canadian Coast Guard will proudly celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Special celebrations will be held at Coast guard bases across Canada. There is a also Calendar of Events running from January to July 2012.
There is even a Facebook page advertising the event.
According to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Press Release page:
The Golden Jubilee Web Site also features the history of the Canadian Coast Guard, information on its plans for the future, a selection of wallpapers, as well as a calendar of events. Throughout the year, photos and videos will be added to the Web site, as well as to Canadian Coast Guard social media sites.
Hi all. Our lovely blog master asked if I would make a guest post now and then, and, since the world as I appreciate it is where everyone listens to me, of course I said “yes!”
By way of introduction, I’ll post a letter that I sent to Hon. Mr. Keith Ashfield, Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, on the topic of Marine Communications and Traffic Services cutbacks. This blog has already posted on this topic, but I thought I would add my voice.
I also sent a copy to my MP Jean Crowder. Ms Crowder responded promptly. She thanked me for my concern, and linked me to a letter her party has already sent on the matter. I have yet to hear back from Hon. Mr. Ashfield, or his office.
Dear Hon. Mr Keith Ashfield,
I am writing because I feel very concerned about proposed government cuts to Coast Guard’s Marine Communication and Traffic Services. In an effort to save costs, the Coast Guard has proposed slashing overtime and holiday time for its operators, leaving the BC’s MCTS stations vulnerable to understaffing. Continue reading Shiny New Guest Blogger, Bearing a Letter→
I receive links to lighthouse stories in the most unbelievable ways. This one arrived in the middle of an email addressed to someone else, which was then passed on to me.
After contacting this first writer I was passed on to another. To keep track of all my contacts I think I will soon need a secretary!
The first writer was Ms. R. Dawson, and her grandparents were on five British Columbia lighthouses for a total of twenty plus years staring in the 1940s. Ms. Dawson describes herself as an activist and I believe she is onboard with the lighthouse keepers against automation as she says: “Lighthouses have been under attack for decades by federal government politicians who have no idea as to their worth and see them as an easy target.”
After contacting Ms. Dawson, I was told that her Aunt Juanita was older and had more stories to tell, and that Aunt Juanita is the sole surviving child of Ms. Dawson’s grandparents/Juanita’s parents. So, Ms. Dawson contacted Aunt Juanita, and I then received an email from Juanita’s husband Roy DuLong. Continue reading Life on the Lighthouses c. 1950s to 1960s→
Capilano Lighthouse behind the Empress of Japan - photo Dudley Booth
– a letter written by Dorothy Mawdsley (Harris) Harrop (daughter of first light keeper, George Alfred Harris, at Capilano 1915 – 1925), with special thanks to Alfred Harrop, grandson of George Alfred Harrop, for letting me post the text of the letter.
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This letter is a bit long, as people were prone to write a lot before the advent of computers. If you have the time, this is a fascinating story of life way back then. – JAC
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Perhaps my grandchildren will take time to read this when I am long gone. We came to Vancouver in 1909. I had just turned my 13th birthday. My father could not get work of any description. He had a Chief Engineer Ticket from Liverpool [UK] but owing to the B.C. laws he was not allowed to work as an engineer even on a small tug in the inlet. It must have been very hard on both my father and my mother. Continue reading Life on First Narrows Lighthouse and Fog Station c. 1915+→
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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Captain Gaudin, Agent of Marine, has received details from David Logan, lineman at Clo-oose, regarding the wreckage washed ashore near Carmanah as recently reported by wireless despatches. Mr Logan’s report says that among the things found were 12 sacks of flour, 23 tins of coal oil, 2 50-gal barrels of coal oil, a case of bird seed and some broken things. At Ucluelet a bottle was found containing some pieces of paper, it having been thrown from Steamer President in Oct. Lumber seen floating off the Vancouver Island coast recently was probably from Schooner Yosemite which has arrived at San Francisco and reports having 60,000′ of lumber washed from her decks on Nov 27, when 30 miles from Columbia River. The coal oil found on Vancouver Island coast is supposed to have been part of that included in the cargo of the wrecked Schooner Argo consigned to the Tillamook lighthouse. [Colonist, 1909-12-07] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 36 (1909-12-07 to 1910-09-30)→
– from Jeannie (Hartt) Nielsen (daughter of Ed Hartt, Senior Keeper on Langara 1957 – 1963)
Smells Growing up on a total of five different west coast lighthouses I remember certain things that were common to them all. The best day was always supply day (see also the Groceries & Mail Categories). When we were on Langara lighthouse in the early years (1957 – 1963) we received supplies every three months. I can remember the first thing I listened for in the early morning of landing day was the clicking sound of the damper in the chimney of the kitchen’s oil stove. When I heard that I knew that there would be no supplies landed that day as the wind was too high.
One December I heard that dreaded sound twenty (20) days in a row, and each day the ship tried to bring our groceries. We would watch as it would come into view just off Langara Rocks. They would assess the landing conditions, then we would watch with growing dispair as it turned back to the safety of a nearby harbour. Finally on the 21st day, the supply tender (itself running out of provisions) was able to deliver our supplies. Continue reading I Remember . . . c. early 1960s→
When I was a teenager I always had stuff to repair, and my Father had drawers of spare stuff that I needed for the repairing.
In the wall of small drawers was one labelled Mise. These were very small drawers and the hand-written label on meical adhesive tape was also small and very hard to read.
In the Mise drawer were small nails. In my naivety I assumed that Mise was a special designation of Mice, and these small nails then became Mice Nails to me.
It was not until I was out and working did I discover they were actually called finishing nails, and the drawer label actually read Misc, which naturally stood for Miscellaneous!
So I will dedicate these pages to my Father, Alec F. Coldwell. This is Mise Tales One and I will post here miscellaneous things I find that are too short to make a full story. I do hope there will be many more Mise Tales later.
This song is by Westlife (Facebook link), a group that has been in the charts since 1998. It is from their final album “Greatest Hits” . The Irish group has said they will be splitting up after their final 2012 tour.
The album contains some older songs and four new ones including this one called “Lighthouse”. It is the band’s second compilation of greatest hits, following the 2002 release of “Unbreakable.”
This is how you go about saving a lighthouse. Work for it! Work together for it. Councillor Rob Lantz of Charlottetown electoral ward 3 (Brighton), Charlottetown, PEI, Canada has given me permission to repost this article here from his Ward 3 Brighton blog.
The Brighton Beach Range Front Light is a designated heritage resource under the city’s Zoning & Development Bylaw. The lighthouse was built in 1890. It is an iconic symbol of our nautical heritage and provides a scenic shoreline vista that is photographed as much as, maybe more than, any other site in Charlottetown.
Random photos pulled from the photo sharing site Flickr.
In December 2011 I received a Guestbook entry from a Scottish ex-lighthouse keeper who said “I was made redundant from the service in 1992 and the last Keeper retired from the service in 1998 . . .” His name is Peter Hill and he has written a few poems about his life and also a book. The poem I like the best is reproduced below.
Peter was a keeper in Scotland and I was a keeper in Canada, and we have never met before, but he wrote in the poem below:
“I dress in darkness yet know my style, my clothes on dresser neatly piled.”
Now only a lighthouse keeper would write about this fact about dressing in the darkness to go on the morning shift. I did the same thing, as it allows our eyes to adjust to the darkness so we can see better before going outside to observe the weather for the upcoming weather report.
I hope you enjoy the poem as much as I did.
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The Lighthouse Keeper – A day in the Life
In softest echo and muffled beep, I am awakened from my shallow sleep Anticipating that very call! It’s a wonder how I sleep at all Accustomed and by ritual seed refreshed in body by slumbers need My motions slow and gentle take, while sleeping Mags, am careful not to awake I dress in darkness yet know my style, my clothes on dresser neatly piled. Shirt and jumper left till last, washed and ready for my watch.
