Category Archives: In Memorium

In Memorium – Bill Exley (1920 – 1994)

Adult Memories, CG Vessels, Coast Guard, Icebreakers, In Memorium, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Tenders, Workboats, , , , , , ,

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.

To include your memories in Bill’s memorial please click this link.

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

*************************

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)

*****************************

– thanks to Karen Waugh for the bio

I always considered Bill Exley a Leader! – retlkpr

In Memorium – Robert H. W. Collins (1914 – 1993)

Adult Memories, In Memorium, Lighthouses, , , , , , , , , ,

Bob Collins (February 06, 1914 -September 29th, 1993) was Principal Keeper on Kains Island (Quatsino). He ran a HAM radio rig with the call sign VE7AOI. Bob was known far and wide as the “King of Kains”. He was a very reserved man and at times very hard to get along with, but he had a heart of gold when you got to know him as I did over many home-brew beers! I learned everything about the operation and maintenance of highlines from him. This knowledge really paid off in later years. – John Coldwell (not a friend, but a student of Bob)

To include your memories in Bob’s memorial please click this link.

 

In Memorium – Doug Bond (1953 – 1993)

Adult Memories, In Memorium, Lighthouses, , ,

Doug Bond (1953 – 1993) was a “friend of the lightkeepers” and worked as an Electrical Technician at the Prince Rupert, British Columbia Coast Guard Base. He was a great inventor and loved exploring all the aspects of his work field. His enthusiasm taught me to master computers. He left behind in Prince Rupert many friends who remember him well. – John Coldwell (one of many who remembers Doug)

To include your memories in Doug’s memorial please click this link.

 

In Memorium – Ed Harris (1925 – 1987)

Adult Memories, British Columbia, Coast Guard, Construction, Icebreakers, In Memorium, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, Ships, , , , , , , , , , ,
Ed Harris

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.

To include your memories in Ed’s memorial please click this link.

Below is a poem written by Captain Robert (Bob) Mellis in memory of Ed Harris. Ed was well-liked by all personnel on the BC coast – a man well-missed.

(click for larger size)

In Memorium – Alexander McLeod (1891 – 1940)

In Memorium, Lighthouses, , , , , , ,

Alexander (Alex) McLeod (Abt 1891- July 15, 1940) took over the duties at Brockton Point station in 1936. One of his responsibilities was the firing of the 9 o’clock gun. On July 15, 1940 he was heading across the narrows in the harbour entrance underneath Lions Gate Bridge. He was in his dinghy with his dog Pal to service the Calamity Point beacon when he fell overboard and drowned a short distance from shore. He left behind his wife Velma and 18 year old son Gordon. – Carol (McLeod) Jeffrey (granddaughter of Alexander McLeod) 

To include your memories in Alex’s memorial please click this link. 

 [nggallery id=97]

In Memorium – George Alfred Harris (1858 – 1925)

In Memorium, Lighthouses, , , , ,

Leaving England in 1909, George Harris ( – March 16, 1925) moved to British Columbia for a new life. He had a Chief Engineer’s ticket from Liverpool but he had to sit for his 3rd and 2nd class Engineering tickets again because his Liverpool papers were not valid in B.C. He worked a few years as an officer on the steam tug S.S. “Proctor” on Trout Lake south of Revelstoke, B.C. He started working as an Engineer at the Anvil Island Brick Company in June 1913 but a week or two later he was given the First Narrows Light and Fog Station. He replaced Alex M. Rood who had left the station May 13, 1913. He worked alone on station as there was only room for a cot in the engine room. Later a house was erected for the keeper and his family which adjoined the lighthouse building. He became ill in Fall 1924 and died on station March 16, 1925. His wife, Dorothy, took over the running of the station until relieved by Alfred Dickenson in December 1925. – Dorothy Mawdsley (Harris) Harrop (daughter of first light keeper, George Alfred Harris of First Narrows Light) – Thanks to Alf and Maxine Harrop for permission to print. Alf is the grandson of George Harris.

To include your memories in George’s memorial please click this link.

[nggallery id=98]