I worked on the lighthouse tender C.G.S. Alberni from April 1941 to April 1942, at which point I joined the Navy. I started as mess boy at $35,00 per month working for a Greek cook named Bill. As crew members joined up, I next worked as a coal trimmer, then as deckhand, and finally as quartermaster at $75.00 a month. In September of 1941 the Alberni had to go into drydock to have its barnacles a-scraped off and repainted to a wartime grey. I was asked then if I would go to Cape St.James as assistant keeper to Herb Fitzgerald. I agreed, only if I would keep getting my quartermaster’s pay, and return to that position once my stint was over. The Alberni came and picked me up on December 6, and we returned to Prince Rupert in the evening of Pearl Harbor day, and whole of Prince Rupert was blacked out.
Hallvard, what a fascinating life you led! Thanks for the comments. If you wish to write a story about it, please do, and send it to me when finished. – John
This is Robert;s dauther,i jsut wanted to said –Thank-you,for do this all for my dad,i’m sorry for not being there,but other things happen to me in the last year.I lost my husband’s mother( Mrs Ruth Lohouse,and last year i lost my husband (Brett Lohouse) and he shouldn’t die in fsj.b.c jail,and we have been togther for 9 1/2 years.But i kown i will be with them soon.Thank-you again for doing this again.Ms Sheryl Akerstrom(Lohouse)
hi. enjoy looking at the list of keepers, my husband wilf redlac and i were keepers on egg island and langara, in 1963, 1965, also he helped build new houses on egg, 1960s and we also built the oeginal helicopter pads on egg island , boat bluff ,langara, one out side prince rupert, capt. ormsbey the head of the dot in prince rupert, was best man at our wedding, remmber fondly trips on the heicopter, and alexander mackenzie, and skidit, thanks mary.
Hi Mary, I remember your name. Nice to hear from you. If you have any good stories to tell please pass them on to me. I am sure the readers would like to hear. Also, if you have any old photos of anything Coast Guard – ships, helos, people, places – they sure would be appreciated. Thanks.
Greetings Mary
Was very interested in the recent post re: your tours on Egg Island. I worked there during spring/summer of 1965 as part of a 7-man construction crew building a new house for the Asst Keeper and then stayed on as vacation-relief keeper when Eric Brown took his annual leave. From the dates mentioned in your comments, it would appear that we may well have crossed paths at the heliport in P.R. at some time back then. No doubt you will recall Ray Salo (Addenbrooke) and Henry Bergen (Dryad Point) from the same era? Great memories of a most unusual phase of my life’s experience & I often said that were I ever to return to Canada to live, it would have to be somewhere along the Inland Passage. All the very best. Bob Shanks
hi. nice to hear from you, sorry don”t rember the name, is see there was a third house built, up in the back behind the head keepers house was, thats funny you started that way becoming a keeper as that was what happened to my husband wilf, he whent up as carpenter for turner construction in 1962,building the house arcross from the engine house, which we lived in , ended up staying , beening relief keeper till they found some one, he fell all the trees , and he and i built the roads, then moved on to build helicopter pad boat bluff, green island, then, off to langara,yes i, remmeber the names, never met them though.eric and his wife came one while we were there, joe wilks, was head keeper before that ,he moved on to langara,bye mary
I would like to thank you ever so much for recognizing my Aunty Evelyn & Uncle Jim Bruton. Born & raised in Tofino I have the fondest memories of them both. They would come by boat from Lennard Island and pick me up and take me back for a few days visit. They were the most caring and loving aunty & uncle a person could ever hope for. They are dearly missed.
Sorry I worked on the Alexander Mackenzie Coast Guard ship. I worked as a head Steward and occasionally as deck hand. Not sure of the year in the early 80′s.
Hi Peter, thanks for the comment. I have not been collecting the names of Ship’s Crews, but perhaps it would be a good addition. Many great guys, deckhands and Captains helped the lightkeepers over the years. It’s a nice idea. I have a page on CG ships coming soon, so maybe will add the crews to that. By the way, I combined your comments to one page. Nice email address – you must have got that one early!
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LIVESTREAMING CAMERA OVER ENTRANCE ISLAND AND THE GEORGIA STRAIT. THE CAMERA RETURNS TO ENTRANCE ISLAND EVERY TOUR. WE ALSO HAVE A GOOD VIDEO OF THE COAST GUARD HOVER CRAFT ROUNDING ENTRANCE ISLAND IN OUR COMMUNITY SECTION UNDER BY THE SEA. HOPE YOU FIND THIS OF INTEREST. LEN O’HARA
Than you Len – appreciate the link. I will post a note about it. Right now when reading your comment here in Europe it is dark over there in BC, so I must wait to see the pictures.Very interesting. Very nice view of Entrance Island. I really love your header photo.
I worked on the lighthouse tender C.G.S. Alberni from April 1941 to April 1942, at which point I joined the Navy. I started as mess boy at $35,00 per month working for a Greek cook named Bill. As crew members joined up, I next worked as a coal trimmer, then as deckhand, and finally as quartermaster at $75.00 a month. In September of 1941 the Alberni had to go into drydock to have its barnacles a-scraped off and repainted to a wartime grey. I was asked then if I would go to Cape St.James as assistant keeper to Herb Fitzgerald. I agreed, only if I would keep getting my quartermaster’s pay, and return to that position once my stint was over. The Alberni came and picked me up on December 6, and we returned to Prince Rupert in the evening of Pearl Harbor day, and whole of Prince Rupert was blacked out.
Hallvard, what a fascinating life you led! Thanks for the comments. If you wish to write a story about it, please do, and send it to me when finished. – John
This is Robert;s dauther,i jsut wanted to said –Thank-you,for do this all for my dad,i’m sorry for not being there,but other things happen to me in the last year.I lost my husband’s mother( Mrs Ruth Lohouse,and last year i lost my husband (Brett Lohouse) and he shouldn’t die in fsj.b.c jail,and we have been togther for 9 1/2 years.But i kown i will be with them soon.Thank-you again for doing this again.Ms Sheryl Akerstrom(Lohouse)
hi. enjoy looking at the list of keepers, my husband wilf redlac and i were keepers on egg island and langara, in 1963, 1965, also he helped build new houses on egg, 1960s and we also built the oeginal helicopter pads on egg island , boat bluff ,langara, one out side prince rupert, capt. ormsbey the head of the dot in prince rupert, was best man at our wedding, remmber fondly trips on the heicopter, and alexander mackenzie, and skidit, thanks mary.
Hi Mary, I remember your name. Nice to hear from you. If you have any good stories to tell please pass them on to me. I am sure the readers would like to hear. Also, if you have any old photos of anything Coast Guard – ships, helos, people, places – they sure would be appreciated. Thanks.
Greetings Mary
Was very interested in the recent post re: your tours on Egg Island. I worked there during spring/summer of 1965 as part of a 7-man construction crew building a new house for the Asst Keeper and then stayed on as vacation-relief keeper when Eric Brown took his annual leave. From the dates mentioned in your comments, it would appear that we may well have crossed paths at the heliport in P.R. at some time back then. No doubt you will recall Ray Salo (Addenbrooke) and Henry Bergen (Dryad Point) from the same era? Great memories of a most unusual phase of my life’s experience & I often said that were I ever to return to Canada to live, it would have to be somewhere along the Inland Passage. All the very best. Bob Shanks
hi. nice to hear from you, sorry don”t rember the name, is see there was a third house built, up in the back behind the head keepers house was, thats funny you started that way becoming a keeper as that was what happened to my husband wilf, he whent up as carpenter for turner construction in 1962,building the house arcross from the engine house, which we lived in , ended up staying , beening relief keeper till they found some one, he fell all the trees , and he and i built the roads, then moved on to build helicopter pad boat bluff, green island, then, off to langara,yes i, remmeber the names, never met them though.eric and his wife came one while we were there, joe wilks, was head keeper before that ,he moved on to langara,bye mary
I would like to thank you ever so much for recognizing my Aunty Evelyn & Uncle Jim Bruton. Born & raised in Tofino I have the fondest memories of them both. They would come by boat from Lennard Island and pick me up and take me back for a few days visit. They were the most caring and loving aunty & uncle a person could ever hope for. They are dearly missed.
Sorry I worked on the Alexander Mackenzie Coast Guard ship. I worked as a head Steward and occasionally as deck hand. Not sure of the year in the early 80′s.
Hi Peter, thanks for the comment. I have not been collecting the names of Ship’s Crews, but perhaps it would be a good addition. Many great guys, deckhands and Captains helped the lightkeepers over the years. It’s a nice idea. I have a page on CG ships coming soon, so maybe will add the crews to that. By the way, I combined your comments to one page. Nice email address – you must have got that one early!
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LIVESTREAMING CAMERA OVER ENTRANCE ISLAND AND THE GEORGIA STRAIT. THE CAMERA RETURNS TO ENTRANCE ISLAND EVERY TOUR. WE ALSO HAVE A GOOD VIDEO OF THE COAST GUARD HOVER CRAFT ROUNDING ENTRANCE ISLAND IN OUR COMMUNITY SECTION UNDER BY THE SEA. HOPE YOU FIND THIS OF INTEREST. LEN O’HARA
Than you Len – appreciate the link. I will post a note about it. Right now when reading your comment here in Europe it is dark over there in BC, so I must wait to see the pictures.Very interesting. Very nice view of Entrance Island. I really love your header photo.