Category Archives: Government

Of Ice and Men

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Following along with yesterday’s story about travel on a CCGS ice breaker, and with the permission of the author, Pamela Coulston, I am reprinting her article here about life on Canadian Coast Guard ice breakers servicing the north and the lighthouses. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Of Ice and Men

Surprisingly, everyone made it to dinner, they also made it to breakfast and lunch. The

Photo courtesy of Gerald Rohatensky

Coast Guard icebreaker Sir Wilfrid Laurier was taking a whipping from the weather in the middle of the Bering Sea. But not a meal was missed.

While the two cooks dished up three squares, the seas served up a storm that included winds gusting to 90 knots and 10-metre waves that broke over the bow, drenching the bridge four storeys above.

The captain ordered all loose items secured and all outer decks off-limits – any one of these larger waves could wash a person overboard to their death in near freezing waters. Continue reading Of Ice and Men →

Risking it All – Oil on Our Coast

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Risking it All – Oil on our Coast is a short film that outlines the plans for the pipeline and tanker route and what it means for our beautiful coast. It is produced by Twyla Roscovich in association with Hartley Bay & Gitga’at Nation, Oil on our Coast is meant to inspire, empower and help fuel the battle to save what sustains us. – Twyla Roscovitch

Risking it All – Oil on our Coast from Twyla Roscovich on Vimeo. Continue reading Risking it All – Oil on Our Coast →

Triple Island – Inside the Lighthouse – 2012

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Triple Island

 

In June 22, 2011 I published an article about the Triple Island 3rd order lens which has now been replaced with a flashlight (see the article).

I have never spent any work time on Triple Island, but I have landed there once or twice with the Coast Guard helicopters as a passenger. I never did have any time to explore.

Triple Island - distant from Prince Rupert

There are two lighthouse keepers on Triple Island who rotate every twenty-eight (28) days with two other keepers. I always wondered what it would be like to live there in this day and age.

One of the keepers, my friend Glenn Borgens, has sent me some wonderful photos of the inside of the Triple Island lighthouse that I am going to share with you. For twenty-eight days, it looks like a comfortable place to live and work. Continue reading Triple Island – Inside the Lighthouse – 2012 →

Discovery Island Lighthouse Rots in the Sun

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Automated in 1977, these videos show what happens to a sadly neglected automated lighthouse. What a place for a B&B! Thanks to Discovery Island website for the information. Just for your information discoveryisland.ca does not seem to be working anymore.

The two following videos I found on Youtube were originally posted by the website discoveryisland.ca

Take a look at the tower and lantern that the keepers so meticulously maintained. 

Originally the keepers at Discovery Island would manual record the wind speed and direction, air temperature, sea temperature, humidity, sea level pressure, wave height, ocean swell height and direction, visibility and sky condition and then report it back via radio about seven times a day. Now due to the automation of the lighthouse the weather reports have gone the same way.

The new weather Instrument are mounted on the top of the tower and measure the wind speed and temperature and then automaticly report it back to Environment Canada, when it is not broken.

Only twenty-seven MANNED lighthouses are remaining says the government!

Save Canada’s Lighthouses

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CALLING OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS – What do the Georgian Bay lighthouses at Killarney, Bustard Rocks, Gereaux Island, Pointe au Baril, Red Rock, Snug Harbour, Jones Island and Christian Island have in common? They are all timber frame structures and the Canadian Coast Guard has ignored the spirit of the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, and declared them to be surplus. Unless they are nominated for heritage status by May 29, 2012 and stewards identified who are willing to take on the prohibitively expensive task of maintaining them in accordance with heritage standards, the Canadian Coast Guard may demolish them and replace them with skeletal galvanized towers. The Heritage Canada Foundation is organizing a petition to the Federal government to provide funds to local groups to help them save these lighthouses for future generations, If you are a Canadian, visit the following website, sign the petition, and let your voice be heard. 
http://www.heartofstonephoto.com/photos/save-georgian-bay-lighthouses

Manual – 1875 Rules and Instructions for Lighthouse-Keepers

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Published in 1875, this book laid down the rules and regulations for Lighthouse-Keepers. It was the LAW!

Download the complete book here in PDF format (13.3 MBs – right click the link for more options)

If you wish to print the book, the published size was 6.5″ x 9.25″ (16.5 x 23.25 cms.) 

The Wind Speed Indicator Episode c.1935

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– Roy Carver (son of C. E. Carver on Kains Island 1933 – 1944) 

One of the daily duties of a light house keeper was to estimate the wind speed during each day and record it, along with other meteorological observations and measurements, which also included sea water temperature, and a sample of sea water which was taken at a depth bellow the surface, weather permitting of course.1

Average Seawater Temperature Kains Island 1935 - 2011 - Fisheries & Oceans

The small glass bottles with cork stoppers of sea water were stored in wooden boxes with many little squares, one for each bottle. These boxes would be shipped out when the supply ship re-supplied the station once a year, usually in July. As far as I know Father never did find out what happened to the bottles of sea water after they left the station.2

For an individual to estimate wind speed is a pretty tall order, especially on the edge of an island. If the wind is blowing in your face one would judge the wind speed higher than if it was blowing from behind you (behind the island), so wind speed estimating was not very accurate, even with the crude wind speed indicating instruments supplied at the station. Continue reading The Wind Speed Indicator Episode c.1935 →

Canadian Coast Guard 50th Anniversary

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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.

 

There is a special webpage on the Canadian Coast Guard website.

 

 

Continue reading Canadian Coast Guard 50th Anniversary →

Here Is How To Do It in Prince Edward Island

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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.

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Saving the Brighton Beach Range Light
Published by Councillor Rob Lantz on January 10, 2012   in Heritage

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.

Continue reading Here Is How To Do It in Prince Edward Island →

Lightkeepers in Canada ARE Essential Services

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In my Christmas Message 2011 I mentioned essential services while referring to lighthouses. It amazes me that Canada considers lighthouses essential services when the lightkeepers want to go on strike, but at any other time of the year they are trying to automate them.

 

According to the Canadian government: What is an essential service? This definition from their webpage Guidelines for Essential Service Agreements:

Subsection 4(1) of the Public Service Labour Relations Act (PSLRA) defines an “essential service” as “a service, facility or activity of the Government of Canada that is or will be, at any time, necessary for the safety or security of the public or a segment of the public”. (PSLRA, Section 4) Continue reading Lightkeepers in Canada ARE Essential Services →