Category Archives: Information

Humour – Government Policy

I received the following in an email today. Based on yesterdays’s MCTS announcement, I think this applies. Government thinking sometimes is so adverse to public wishes that I think government ministers must live in another universe.

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The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that; “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

However, those in government  will apply a more advanced strategy to solve the same problem.

1. Buying a stronger whip.

2. Changing riders.

3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.

7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse’s performance.

10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance.

11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more
to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.

And of course….

13. Promoting the dead horse to a Civil  Service supervisory position.


 
 

Lighthouse History – 34 (1908-09-22 to 1909-01-23)

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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Tug William Jolliffe, of British Columbia Salvage Co, returned from West Coast lighthouses loaded cement for a new lighthouse at Estevan Point and will probably sail again today for the West Coast. 
Tees, Captain Townsend, sailed last night for the West Coast with a good cargo and a fair complement of passengers. She took lumber, coal, barrels and stores and several large shipments of provisions. Passengers included F W Vincent, of the Canadian Pacific Railway coast service staff, who is making his annual trip of inspection; H Simpson, R J Flaherty, S Dickson, A W Neill, Mr/Mrs J Durham, J W McCreary, J H McGregor, D Wyer, D Duncans, W T Buttar and Messrs Bruce, W McCurdy, Godrich, Todd and Gregg. [Colonist, 1908-09-22] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 34 (1908-09-22 to 1909-01-23)

3D Lighthouses You Can Make

A short while ago I posted a story about 3D lighthouse drawings. It was meant to show what was available in the retail world, but just recently I discovered that even you and I can draw a lighthouse. Well maybe not right away, but with Google’s FREE Sketchup program, which is now in version 8, you can draw real 3D pictures of lighthouses, outbuildings, and even station boats.

Kincardine Lighthouse as shown in Sketchup

Click on the lighthouse photo above left. It is a model of Kincardine Lighthouse which one can see displayed in Google Earth in its exact location. This location is contained in a KMZ file  which works with Google Earth.

Clicking on this link will bring you to the Sketchup page where the drawing is displayed like in the photo at the left.  Continue reading 3D Lighthouses You Can Make

Howard Frazer Chamberlin Family Adventures c.1930s

– Narrated by Sharlene Macintosh with help from her cousin Zellie Chamberlin Sale (granddaughters of Howard Frazer Chamberlin, lighthouse keeper c. 1930 – 1941)

Nootka Light -photo - Bill Maximick of Maximick Originals

My grandfather was Howard Frazer Chamberlin who was lightkeeper at a few lighthouses around Vancouver Island  – Nootka , Pine Island , Quatsino , Trial Island  come to mind – my Mom knows them all. His brother, Charles Benjamin Chamberlin was also assistant at Nootka.

My Mom, Mina Peet (née Chamberlin) was born in Oct 1933 while her Dad was a lightkeeper. He originally did various jobs such as farming, prospecting, trapping, and logging with horses. He had a sawmill at Coombs, BC and he was injured while logging with horses on Vancouver Island. He was put into hospital where he met my grandmother Dora Anna Wordsell who was a nurse. 

They married December 12, 1928 in Nanaimo, BC. They had three daughters: Connie (who died in 1985), Pearl, and Mina. The first child, a son, died up near Prince Rupert, BC right after birth, so my grandmother was sent the next time to New Westminster, BC  to give birth (at a real hospital) where her parents lived, and the second two times to Victoria, BC.  Continue reading Howard Frazer Chamberlin Family Adventures c.1930s

Lighthouse History – 33 (1908-05-05 to 1908-07-11)

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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Rev Father Brabant appointed Apostolic Administrator of Diocese pending appointment of an archbishop (Orth resigned due to fatal illness). Brabant is the only one of the local priests who was a priest under Bishop Demers, first of the bishops at Victoria. He remained since under Bishops Seghers, who was killed in AK; Brondel, Lemmens and Christie. Brabant is 62 and has been on this coast for 39 years, mostly engaged at Hesquiat among West Coast Indians. He is the authority upon the language of these Indians. It was in 1874 that in company with Bishop Seghers, the new apostolic administrator went to the West Coast, as passengers on Captain Spring’s trading Schooner Surprise. A machinist who went to install the machinery at Cape Beale lighthouse was also a passenger. During his long residence on West Coast Vancouver Island he has had many adventures, being shot on one occasion by superstitious Indians when a smallpox epidemic was causing illness amongst the tribesmen. He buried the victims of some wrecks, and had numerous adventures among the people of the island coast among whom he lived so long. [Colonist, 1908-05-05]

 

photograph: Banfield Creek Motor Lifeboat… now being repaired by Hutcheson Brothers, Victoria. Photo on Banfield Creek at practise. Lifesavers are practising rowing, with Captain Gullin at the till. Banfield Creek cable stn is seen in the background. 
Dominion Government Steamer Quadra returned after landing gear for the lighthouse and wireless telegraph stn at Pachena Point, and will leave in a few days with Captain Gaudin, local Agent of Marine and W H Roebuck, fog alarm expert, on a cruise to lighthouses and aids of the British Columbia coast on an inspection tour. [Colonist, 1908-05-12, p. 10]

 

Captain Gaudin, marine agent, who was on board Dominion Government Steamer Quadra engaged inspecting lighthouses and fog alarms, has sent word that… the new lighthouse at Pachena Port, is being shown from a tower which stands on the top of the bank, at the extreme point. It is an octagonal wooden building, with sloping sides, painted white, surmounted by a red circular metal lantern. Height of tower from base to vane is 66’… describes flashing light… a white rectangular wooden doubled building with a hip roof has been erected NE of the lighthouse, on top of the bank, immediately behind a narrow gorge used as a landing place in fine weather… description of fog alarm… [Colonist, 1908-05-24]

 

Steamer Leebro left yesterday for Estevan Point and West Coast lighthouses, carrying a cargo of building material and machinery to be used in the completion of the lighthouse and fog alarm and wireless telegraph stn at Estevan Point. A lighthouse tower is under construction on the Southwest extremity of Estevan Point, locally known as ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’. The light to be shown from this tower when completed will be a 1st order triple flashing white light… A fog alarm building has been erected at this light station A fog alarm, consisting of a diaphone, operated with air, compressed by an oil engine, will be installed in the building this year. 
A number of carpenters from Clayoquot were taken in a launch to Estevan to work on the new lighthouse. [Colonist, 1908-07-03]

 

Ottawa report… Harbors and Navigation… 4 lifeboat Stations – Clo-oose, Banfield, Ucluelet and Clayoquot. 
A coast road in course of construction on West Coast Vancouver Island, 24 miles completed; 
5 wireless Stations – Estevan, Pachena, Victoria, Port Grey and Cape Lazo; Kyuquot – Gas buoy; Estevan Point – lighthouse and fog signal in course of construction; Cape Beale – fog signal; Pachena Port – lighthouse and fog signal; Port San Juan – gas and whistle buoy… [Colonist, 1908-07-11]

 

Thomas Paterson, who for many years has had charge of the Cape Beale lighthouse, and who, with his wife, Mrs Minnie Paterson, has done so much in aid of shipwrecked mariners and to save life, has tendered his resignation as lightkeeper. Mrs Paterson’s trip over the sodden trail to send Quadra to save Captain Allison and 9 men from the wrecked Coloma and the work of her husband and herself, when Valencia went ashore won a great deal of praise. [Colonist, 1908-07-21]

Travel – Australian Lighthouses

Shine a Light on Australia's lighthouses.

 

I came across this article that shows the life on an Australian lighthouse starting in 1971. A wee bit different than Canada I must say.

 

 

What got my attention were the requirements for a lighthouse keeper:

The job requirements of a lighthouse keeper were a car licence, an ability to climb to heights and an ability to get along with the other lighthouse keeper . . .

 The article is worth reading to illustrate the differences between Canadian and Australian lights (wildlife, for one), plus, on the page is a reference and a link to an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) website which is exploring some of Australia’s iconic lighthouses.

This new site is called Shining a Light and is an excellent documentary on some of Australia’s lighthouses. The map above shows the lighthouses mentioned.

There you go – two stories for one price. Enjoy!

Did You Gain Weight Over Christmas?

Washington State Ferry - photo Steven J. Brown

 

The following story from the Victoria Times-Colonist caught my attention yesterday:

Heavier Riders Force Capacity Cut on Washington State Ferries

 

A takeout from the page reads:

British Columbia had the fast ferries.

Now, Washington state has the fat ferries.

 

On Dec. 1, U.S. Coast Guard vessel stability rules raised the estimated weight of the average adult passenger to 185 pounds from 160 pounds. This was based in part on population information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a coast guard report on the changes.

 

To comply with the new rules, the state-run ferry system has reduced the number of passengers on a number of routes, Marta Coursey, director of communications for Washington State Ferries, said Thursday. Continue reading Did You Gain Weight Over Christmas?

Lighthouse History – 32 (1908-04-18 to 1908-04-29)

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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Wreckage indicating the loss of a large sailing ship, presumably with all hands, off West Coast Vancouver Island, near Carmanah Point, came ashore following the heavy gale of the 16th, 6 miles to East of Carmanah Point lighthouse. 
What craft is the last victim of the sea in this vicinity is yet hidden… the flotsam given from the sea includes a broken topmast, evidently from some large ship, and a lot of white-painted lumber… there were also 2 large boat chocks, hardwood tumbler racks, 4-18′ oars and the stern of a small gig without a mark on it… Included too, among the debris found by Indians, who carried the news of disaster to the lightkeeper, were 3 tin trunks. Whether these had been the receptacles of the gatherings of the sailormen is not known. It is unusual for tin trunks to be used for this purpose, the usual being wooden chests or canvas bags. 
All this wreckage came ashore last night, and it looks as if the wreck occurred recently, says Lightkeeper W P Daykin, in a telegram…  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 32 (1908-04-18 to 1908-04-29)

Lighthouse History – 31 (1907-08-16 to 1908-03-06)

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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Tees, Captain Townsend, is being kept extremely busy. She arrived at 6pm on Wed and after disembarking her passengers and their effects went to the outer dock to discharge her cargo of whale oil and fertilizer. Returning to the Canadian Pacific Railway dock yesterday morning she spent the day loading cargo for Quatsino and way ports and left last night, well filled with passengers for the various ports of call on West Coast Vancouver Island. 
Those who sailed on Tees included: Mrs Jackson and family, Mrs Williams and family, Mrs Leech and family, Miss Ward, Mrs Weiger and daughter, E Sharples, W Garrard, Leo Waugh, Mrs Lindsay, Miss Smith, J Hawthorne, Tainer, L Peabody, R Clark, Charles Lay, Mrs Swartout, B W Bailey, Miss Dixon, Miss Woods, S J Bennison, C B Garrison, H C Continue reading Lighthouse History – 31 (1907-08-16 to 1908-03-06)

Quarters and Rations (Q&R)

Quarters and Rations (Q&R), seen on many Canadian government employee pay cheques as Q – R IN KIND is also know as Rations and Quarters (R&Q) in the Canadian military.

It is a topic over which I fought against the Coast Guard bureaucracy my whole working life. I wanted it defined for the lighthouse keeper! 

It is paid – why can the keepers not have the benefits? When I was working I had the personnel office in Prince Rupert in a turmoil. I even filed a grievance with the Union, and all the bigwigs in Vancouver could not find out what our benefits were and said let it drop. 

When I worked for the government in the north of Canada, and today on many postings where government personnel – police, military, weather observers, ships crews, radio operators, airport personnel, etc.  are sent into isolation to do work for the government, they are given Q&R benefits. (Is anybody missing from this list? Please contact me and let me know.) Continue reading Quarters and Rations (Q&R)