– from Campbell River Mirror News by Kristen Douglas, online under BC Local News
The chief of the We Wai Kai First Nation is not pleased the Strathcona Regional District may seek heritage protection for the Cape Mudge Lighthouse.
Chief Ralph Dick says the land surrounding the Quadra Island lightstation belongs to the We Wai Kai/Cape Mudge Band and he doesn’t understand why the Regional District is trying to protect a lighthouse it does not have direct access to.
“We want them to just butt out, we don’t want them involved at all,” Dick says. “They can’t get at it by road or water, it’s our land all around it, so we’re quite upset they’re trying to muscle in there. Continue reading More Delays for Cape Mudge→
Rene Kitson (January 22, 1944 – August 06, 2011) was a long time lightkeeper at Bonilla island , McInnes Island as Assistant lightkeeper and he was the Principal lightkeeper at Ivory along with his wife Sherrill, the assistant lightkeeper for 15 years plus, until they retired and moved to Nova Scotia, Canada. He was also the Shop Steward for many years in the northern Prince Rupert district and fought long and hard for the lightkeepers against the de-staffing attempts, and spent many many hours in Ottawa negotiating lightkeeper contracts. He will be missed by all who new him. He was a dedicated lightkeeper and he was a great friend.
In the early twentieth century there were many navigational lights on the British Columbia coast maintained by individuals under contract. These were not lighthouses but pylons, piles, posts, rafts, or dolphins of wood or cement, or metal tanks made from disused military mooring buoys.
Upon these moorings was placed a kerosene (coal oil) lamp which would have to be tended. Some of the lights in accessible locations were lit before sunset and extinguished after sunrise, daily, weekly, for years, and with little pay.
Other lights were supplied with a two day lamp that remained lit for two days (the extent of the fuel reservoir) and then were changed over with a full, clean lamp. A later invention was a low maintenance, thirty-one day coal oil lamp. This also proved useless as it carboned up and was not very bright.
For example, before the real Capilano lighthouse (aka First Narrows) was established 1913 at the mouth of the Capilano river – List of Lights #394 – near the entrance to Vancouver Harbour, a black cylindrical tank was installed on a dolphin or piling, and a man was hired to row over and maintain the light and also wind the fog bell when it was installed at a later date. This was not an easy job because tides and fog competed with the Capilano river outflow to hamper any but the strongest of men.
First Narrows light 2006
When the Capilano lighthouse was automated in 1969, the lighthouse, complete with the engine room and residence on its wood pilings was burnt to the water and again a light beacon was established on a concrete pillar. This was later replaced with another beacon on a wood dolphin which stands today.
Another local light that was unwatched was Garry Point – List of Lights #333 – off the mouth of the Fraser River. Because of its location, this could be easily be reached by land and so did not require a manned station. It was probably maintained by a man from Steveston. Continue reading Unwatched Lights – All Automated→
The Coast Guard vessel Cape Dauphin sits docked at the Seal Cove base.
By Shaun Thomas – The Northern View
Prince Rupert’s new Coast Guard vessel, the Cape Dauphin, was on display at the Coast Guard station today and those who work with the ship outlined the role it will play in search and rescue on the North Coast.
She ship is a 47 foot cape-class vessel with a combined 900 horsepower. It can house a crew of four with a maximum speed of 25 knots and is designed to withstand 80 knot winds and 30 foot seas. The ship is also self righting, which means if it flips over in rough seas the engines won’t cut out and the boat will automatically roll back into the proper upright position.
“This is the standard boat across the country and across the continent. America has about 200 and we have a significant number here in Canada. They fulfill their mission perfectly because of their speed and nimbleness,” said Kevin Tomsett, superintendent on small vessels.
“They’re a good size and can get into a lot of the areas that other big boats can’t access.”
The Cape Dauphin, named after a cape in New Brunswick, also features side decks that can be lowered to bring someone out of the water more efficiently and will carry the same medical equipment as the much larger Point Henry, which was decomissioned earlier this year. The two 450 horsepower engines are rated for fuel efficiency and longevity, with the Cape Dauphin able to cover 200 nautical miles on a tank of gas at full speed and the top 2,120 RPM, and up to 800 nautical miles at lower speed.
A dedication ceremony for the ship will take place later this afternoon.
Government of Canada to Restore Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site
POINT CLARK, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – July 26, 2011) – The Honourable Peter Kent, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced the award of a $622,000 contract to restore Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site.
“Last year, Parks Canada developed a plan to restore the Point Clark Lighthouse and reopen it to visitors,” said Minister Peter Kent. “Today I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is contributing to preservation of this regional icon of marine heritage.”
The Point Clark Lighthouse is one of six imperial lighthouse towers on Lake Huron and was first lit on April 1, 1859. The 87-foot limestone lighthouse structure is a style rarely seen elsewhere in Canada, and in 1967 was the first Ontario lighthouse to be designated as a National Historic Site by the Government Canada. Although owned by Parks Canada, the Lighthouse is operated as a popular tourist attraction by the Township of Huron-Kinloss.
“The Township of Huron-Kinloss is very excited about the restoration of the Point Clark Lighthouse”, said Mayor Mitch Twolan. “The Township Council, staff and citizens of Point Clarke are pleased that this beacon for tourism will remain tall and strong in our community.”
“Through Parks Canada, our government manages the finest network of protected heritage places in the world,” said Minister Kent. “The work at Point Clark Lighthouse will ensure this national treasure is protected and preserved for generations of Canadians to experience.”
Parks Canada works to ensure Canada’s historic and natural heritage is protected and, through a network of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery at our treasured natural and historic places.
For additional information, please see the accompanying backgrounder at www.parkscanada.gc.ca under Media Room.
Contact Information
Scott Currie Communications Manager Southwestern Ontario Field Unit Parks Canada 519-573-2476
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! 🙂
I heard late last year that the Sikorsky S-61N retired from the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). Yes, it did disappear from the Coast Guard Base in Prince Rupert but where did it go? There were rumours that it went to the US military and was sent off to Afghanistan but there is not a word in the news. There is an article here about selling and then sending some S-61s to Iraq, but these were Danish S-61 Sea King helicopters.
This light was first made available to mariners on January 1st, 1921 to travel to the bustling port of Prince Rupert from the north. It was originally fired by a pressurized gas vapour lamp which would have been visible for over 12 miles (19 kilometers).
Electric generators installed in the late 1960s replaced this vapour lamp with an incandescent lamp and later with a mercury vapour lamp as seen in some of the photos below.
The lamp, reflector and base all floated on a large bowl of mercury. Even though the light weighed hundreds of pounds, it could be turned easily with one finger.
The Canadian government declared mercury a hazardous substance (like asbestos) in the 1990s and removed it from all work places. Reluctantly, the lamp was no longer usable.
Also, because of the planned automation of the lights which has gone on since the early 1970s, there was no reason to replace or modify the light and its housing – the Coast Guard abandoned it as a an Aid to Navigation.
The photos below show what replaced it. An APRB 252 12 volt battery-operated “flashlight”.
Captain William (Bill) Mills Exley (January 08, 1920, Vancouver, BC – April 24,1994, Victoria, BC) was a friend to all the lighthouse keepers he met. Bill joined the Coast Guard as a mess boy on the Estevan in 1939 and retired 45 years later as District Area Supervisor (DAS), Victoria. He was a tough boss but was respected by all who learned from him. See his biography below. Bill’s ashes were buried at sea.
Bill was Second Mate on the old “smokey joe” CGS Estevan under that legendary master mariner, Capt Harry Ormiston (1889-1971), when I joined the (then) Victoria District Marine Agency as the (then) Superintendent of Lights in June 1956, a post I held until Oct 1959. His seamanship, acquired and polished during his many years of sailing with Harry, was absolutely superb, a true credit to his mentor. Among my happy, solid memories of Bill was his skillful handling of the Estevan’s sturdy work boats then used to take supplies ashore at lightstations, often in heavy seas. (No choppers in those days). Not once in my time did he ever misjudge the swells, damage a work boat, or dump its cargo in the water. Nor did he ever cause me to be dunked when I used to jump from the bow onto wet slippery seaweed-covered rocks when doing an annual lighthouse inspection – or when scrambling back on board afterwards.
Captain Exley, as he was when I last met him (his guest for lunch on the CGS Sir James Douglas while visiting Victoria in 1964), was a man I greatly admired and respected – as he was indeed by the lightkeepers who knew him and the ships’ crewmen who served with him. It was my privilege to have known him, enjoyed his friendship and sailed several thousands of West Coast nautical miles with him. – John Bathurst
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Bill’s first love might have been the sea..,but as superintendant of Lights he soon became an avid helicopter passenger and particularly liked low flying.
As pilots we had a wonderful rapport with him and consequently we made every effort to comply with his numerous requests and I for one appreciated the fact that he never pressured us to fly when we considered for instance that the weather precluded flying, but he expected us to give it a try if conditions were marginal, and that was fair enough.
One example was when he “desperately” wanted to interview and eventually fire a troublesome assistant lighthouse keeper at Pine Island lighthouse. As we both approached Pine the usual summertime band of fog was really heavy (Pine was calling it 1/4 mile visibility), below our limits, but we headed out hover taxying you might say, riding the swells, the sea being my only reference. Our only concern being that we might bump into a ship!
Anyway we made it, picked up the assistant and headed back through the same soup, saw a hole in the fog climbed like an elevator and rode several miles back to Port Hardy on top of the fogbank.
On arrival there Bill Exley turned to me and said “Let’s never do that again!” It was pretty hairy all right. – Ivor Roberts (aka Ivor the Driver)
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– thanks to Karen Waugh for the bio
I always considered Bill Exley a Leader! – retlkpr
Edgar (Ed) Dennis Harris Born November 12th 1925 at Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Islands, BC. A second generation Salt Spring Island Hawaiian. Ed married Margaret (Greta) Carlton in Victoria on October 19th, 1946. he had 4 daughters: Lonie Belsey, Lynne Donaldson, Lorna Carrigan and Lorie Palmer and stepdaughter Linda Varcoe.
Ed lived in Victoria, BC and started work with the Canadian Coast Guard in the early 1950’s. In April of 1958 Ed was accepted into the Scholarship Program for Ships Officer training. Based out of Victoria agency, Ed served on the CGM Berens , CGS Estevan, CGS Sir James Douglas and other CCG vessels too numerous to mention.
In 1960 Ed successful competed for the position of Superintendent of Lights with the Department of Transport, Prince Rupert Agency. Edgar and Greta, along with 3 girls moved to Prince Rupert arriving by Coast Guard ship in October 1960. Shortly after moving to Prince Rupert the Harris’s were blessed with their 4th daughter Lorie.
Upon arriving in his new position in Prince Rupert, Ed worked under District Marine Agent, Capt. Ormsby. As Superintendent of Lights he worked very closely with the lightkeepers all along the BC coast – north to Langara and south to the tip of Vancouver Island. He took his position as Superintendent of Lights very seriously as evidence by his personal commitment to visit all the lighthouses in his jurisdiction. He always made a special effort during the holiday season to visit the families on the stations along with Jolly Old Saint Nick.
It was a special treat for me to be able to accompany him from time to time on his visits to the stations and witness the joy he brought to the families that tended the lightstations.
After a number of years as Superintendent of Lights his duties were expanded to include Inland Aids to Navigation which required him to travel to such places as Hay River, Carcross, Whitehorse and Fort St. James. Eventually Ed was promoted to the position of District Marine Agent in the Prince Rupert Agency and served in that position until retiring in 1984.
Edgar and Greta moved to their hobby farm in Kitwanga, BC. In July of 1987.
Dad became ill and he was diagnosed with primary brain cancer and passed away on October 08, 1987. He is survived by his wife Greta, 4 daughters, 1 stepdaughter and 14 grandchildren. Many of Ed’s family followed in his footsteps working for the Canadian Coast Guard. Today there are two son-in-laws and one grandson working. Edgar’s oldest daughter worked for CCG in the 1980s and a grandson and nephew in the 1990s. Kevin Carrigan (son-in-law) is the Superintendent Marine Navigation Services, Victoria CCG; Leslie Palmer (son-in-law) is an officer on the Rescue Vessel with Prince Rupert CCG and Nathan Rochon (grandson) is a Carpenter at the CCG Base Prince Rupert. This text was created for this website by Lonie (Harris) Belsey June 28, 2012.
