Gerald David Watson (December 18, 1940 – April 03, 2012) Jerry started his career as an assistant lighthouse keeper on Sandheads. When Jerry was principal on Green Island, I replaced him there in 1975. He worked many stations on the coast, and finally settled on Point Atkinson, near Vancouver, BC with Don Graham. Jerry became principal keeper and retired from the station when it closed on May 31, 1996.
To include your memories in Jerry’s memorial please click this link.
In the winter time when it became very cold on the British Columbia coast we almost always had fly-in visitors from the far north land on Mcinnes Island. These were the large Snowy Owls from the Arctic.
When the cold weather hit with lots of snow then the owls had no food available in the northern parts of Canada and Yukon and they then migrated south for the winter. We did not see them every year, but that could have been because we lived on an island. I know they have been recorded as far south as Vancouver, BC, so it is not an unusual event.
On the island we had the usual collection of Bald Eagles that used to sit in the trees. The eagles did not bother our four Siamese cats at all, but the Snowy Owls were a different thing. Anything that moved and was brown in colour was fair game! We did have mink and otters too, but when a cat is available, why go for something harder. Continue reading Winter Visitors Come Flying In
On our lighthouse at McInnes Island we got to see many submarine races. It was usually a random event, and if the weather was good we would sit up at the front of the lighthouse beside the foghorns with our binoculars and radio and notepad waiting for the races to begin.
We were notified by radio beforehand and noted the times on our notepad. Good weather was always a necessity, as if it was too rough you would see nothing. The children loved the event as it could occur at any time of the day and so sometimes they could stay up late at night to watch and cheer, or even miss school.
If the weather was bad we went back and waited impatiently for the next announcement on the radio. They were mostly US submarines as Canada has not too many serviceable ones. Plus, the American ones were faster and provided more fun.
If you ever get a chance when near the ocean, try and take in this rare event. See the video below for a touch of the excitement!
If you do not know what Mise Tales are then please see Mise Tales One.
I found this cute video on the Internet about a lighthouse keeper. In all the stories they seem to have problems to solve. It’s also true with real life lightkeepers too.
[media url=”https://ccanadaht3.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Lighthouse_752x423_500.flv” width=”400″ height=”350″]
*************************************
Lighthouses in operation have declined due to the expense of maintenance. Let us take an artistic photograph of it for lifetime memory. – Digital Photography Review/Challenges
Lots of lovely large photos of lighthouses at the link above – worldwide lighthouses – beautiful photos!
[nggallery id=46] Continue reading Mise Tales Four
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.
photo 4 sons of Fred Marshall Eastwood, who has been the lighthousekeeper at Race Rocks for 25 years. Mr Eastwood has family of 12, the oldest now left at home is only 10. Sons: J W, RCE, 3rd Div; Private E E, Signaller, 103rd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force; Private J M, 1st Canadian Pioneers; Private R, 88th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. [Colonist, 1916-03-26, p. 5]
Breakwater now showing up well…; May 11, 11 – 25 cribs placed; brkwtr now showing up well…; Jul 2, 16, 17; photos Aug 20, 17 – only 80′ work uncomplete…; Sep 9, 11 – steady progress… Jan 12, 1917 – to have imposing lighthouse… Jan 28, 21 – completion of ocean docks calls for action…; Feb 11, 25 – Parfitt brothers get lighthouse contract [Ogden point breakwater]; Feb 21, 11 – Foghorn needed on new brkwtr; photo Apr 1, 25 -; will add 5,000′ to docking space; Piers nearing completion… [Colonist, 1916-04-08, p. 11] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 44 (1916-03-26 to 1916-08-25)
This book first published in 1855 is a copy of the original produced by the Chance Brothers factory. From the handwritten prices and information, it appears to be a salesman’s copy which would have been given to the prospective buyer. As each light was specifically made for one location only, then this would have been a one-of-a-kind catalogue.
Download the complete book here in PDF format 22.5 MBs (60+ pages) – right click the link for more options)
If you wish to print the book, this scanned version size was 8.5″ x 11″ (21.5 x 28 cms.)
Pamela Coulston, the lady that wrote the story Ice and Men which I reprinted on this website also has another talent – she designs jewellery – Canadian-inspired jewellery. This is not a plug to get you to buy her jewellery. I get no commissions from it. I just wanted to bring to your attention the craftsmanship here. Myself, I love silver jewellery, but there is also gold offered if you are so inclined. I have three or four favourites among her selections.
It’s hard to say which is my most favourite, but this salmon from her Canadian West Coast Marine Life collection is one of I would choose first. It is 5 cms long and swivels actively on a necklace. I would have to say this ranks number one with me.
Canada had lightships – well, I know of one on the Fraser River – the Sandheads #16. It used to be situated at the mouth of the Fraser River. More information on the Sandheads Lightships here.
The website Vancouver History has this to say:
The Sandheads #16 lightship at the mouth of the Fraser, there since 1913, ended its service. This two-masted schooner had started life in New York in 1880 as the Thomas F. Bayard, a Delaware Bay pilot ship. (Thomas Bayard was a Delaware senator.) She had an interesting career, which can be read about here. The Bayard was purchased in 1978 by the Vancouver Maritime Museum, which has been restoring her to her condition as a West Coast sealer. Continue reading BC Lightships
On the morning of October 30, 1918 in the vicinity of Triangle Island lighthouse, the HMCS Galiano foundered and sank.
Not much is known about the sinking, but the story is associated with the Triangle Island lighthouse because that was their last port of call. Triangle Island is remembered as the most remote, isolated, lonely and wind-swept piece of rock in which the government placed a lighthouse.
A friend of mine, John MacFarlane, created a website about all things nautical. In an email notification I learned about an excellent historical record of the HMCS Galiano written by Stephen Rybak.
Here is a taste from the article:
Miss Emily Brunton had been hired by the six bachelors staffing the radio station as a housekeeper. The 35 year–old Miss Brunton arrived on Triangle Island in 1916 and had introduced a little civility and good cooking to the station. It was to be her first trip off the wind-swept and treeless rock in 18 months.
Rybak, Stephen (2012) The Wreck of HMCS Galiano 1918. Nauticapedia.ca2012.
Continue reading by clicking on the Nauticapedia link in blue just above.
**************************
Triangle Island lighthouse was discontinued only a few years later, but an interesting sidelight to the story is that the main light is now on display at the Sooke Regional Museum just outside Victoria, BC. See the photo below:
You all know my feelings about the Enbridge Pipeline project (aka Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines) currently being proposed for British Columbia. I am definitely against it. During my years on the BC lighthouses I saw many examples of poorly managed mines and fisheries. Let us stop this one before it gets started and one oil spill creates havoc on our beautiful BC coast. Please read this student’s opinion. – retlkpr
Posted by Elyse Gagne from the Bishop’s University Student Newspaper
March 1, 2012 9:24 pm
Sure, they’re irreplaceable, but who cares?
We all like oil, because we like the benefits that come from oil: like our heat and our gasoline. But we’re all hypocrites, because we don’t like to see the oil, pay for it, or sacrifice our lifestyles for it. —more
