Tag Archives: Canada

Do You Have a Photo of Me Mid-1978?

Adult Memories, Boats, Cruise Ship, Humour, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Photos, , , , , , , , , ,

– Rand Grant (relief keeper on Triple Island June – July 1978)

Melville Island - looking NW from Triple - photo Rand Grant (Flickr)

The story is in reference to the photo at right, Rand writes: 

The large Island is Melville. Prince Rupert lies just beyond this. The tanker is on it’s way into Prince Rupert Port. One of the deepest and busiest on the west coast of British Columbia. 

One evening back in ’78 [while stationed on Triple Island], I noticed an Alaskan Cruise ship on it’s way by. I walked up to the roof; it was a beautiful summer evening; I was curious, so started waving my arms over my head, back and forth. I actually witnessed that ship light-up with so many flash-bulbs that it made me laugh.  Continue reading Do You Have a Photo of Me Mid-1978? →

Careers In The Federal Public Service – Big Oops!

Automation, Canada, Communication, Database, Government, Humour, Information, Lighthouses, , , , , , ,

If you are looking for a job in the Canadian Government Public Service, the government has a most helpful webpage called Careers in the Federal Public Service (click photo link below for a larger size):

In the middle of the page above you can Search to see if a specific job is open – a job where you might know the name. On the left-hand side is another link called Job Alert. Continue reading Careers In The Federal Public Service – Big Oops! →

Low Tides On The BC Coast

Beachcombing, Children, Information, Lighthouses, , , , , ,

A low tide on the British Columbia coast in Fall will reveal all sorts of treasures and provide many easy, close-to-home escapes. Even on a lighthouse, low tide was a time to explore.

Check your Tide Tables closely for tides near zero or even lower, known as minus tides. (Canadian Tide Tables for all coasts).

Wait for the high tide and then the lowering water will start revealing the riches. Here are some ways to make the most of it. Continue reading Low Tides On The BC Coast →

Lighthouse History – 29 (1907-06-29 – 1907-08-13)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, , , , , , ,

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.

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

Work is to be commenced at once on a central wireless telegraph station for Clover Point, Victoria, and also at Pachena Point on the West Coast. Other stations will afterward be established at Cape Lazo, near Comox, for communication with northbound steamers; at Estevan Point, near Hesquiat where a 1st class lighthouse will be constructed, and at Point Grey near Vancouver… 
At each station a residence will be constructed for the chief operator and family, and accommodation for 2 operators. At Pachena and Estevan Pnts the stations will be operated from the lighthouses… 
When Pachena Point station is ready for service wireless apparatus will be placed on the Empress steamers which will then be able to communicate with the stations at either side of the Pacific a day or 2 before reaching land. Arrangement has already been made to equip the coasting steamers of the Canadian Pacific Railway… [Colonist, 1907-06-29] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 29 (1907-06-29 – 1907-08-13) →

Lighthouse History – 28 (1907-02-06 to 1907-06-15)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, , , , , , ,

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.

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

CGS Quadra, now coaling, will probably carry a representative of the Sailor’s Union to the West Coast, when she leaves on a patrol and lighthousetendering cruise about the end of the week. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer of yesterday says: “As a reward for the heroism of Mrs Minnie Paterson in sending aid to the crew of the bark Coloma, which was drifting a wreck off the Vancouver Island coast, the Masters’ and Pilots’ Assn will present her with a handsome gold medal. The inscription on the reverse side reads: “Presented by Puget Sound Harbour No 16, to Mrs Minnie Paterson, for her heroic effort in sending assistance to the bark Coloma, Dec 7, 1906, whereby the lives of 10 men were saved by Dominion Government Steamer Quadra.’ 
On the reverse side is the figure of a woman fighting her way through the brush with the Latin inscription meaning ‘She hastened that she might save others.” [Colonist, 1907-02-06] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 28 (1907-02-06 to 1907-06-15) →

Lighthouse History – 27 (1906-10-25 to 1907-02-02)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, , , , , , ,

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.

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

Victoria Daily Times – Barkentine Skagit, of Port Gamble, struck the rocks near Clo-oose at 4am. There was a bad Southwest gale and a heavy sea, with fog, at the time. 
Captain Rose was drowned, as was also the cook, name unknown. The vessel is a total loss. Mate Langkow and 7 men are ashore at Logan’s place. 
Skagit, bound from San Francisco to Port Gamble, is ashore and liable to become a wreck on West Coast Vancouver Island. She sailed from the Bay City on Oct 13.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 27 (1906-10-25 to 1907-02-02) →

Lighthouse History – 26 – Pachena Point (1906-10-05 to 1908-05-24)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, , , , , , , ,

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.

As I was collecting this information from the newspaper archive website, I noticed that many articles were in consecutive order and applied to Pachena Point, so I collected them all together here. It is a bit long, but interesting, as it describes the building of a lighthouse from the ground up as they say. Take note of the dates at the end of each article. it surely was not done overnight. More extensive information can be obtained from the actual scanned copies of the newspapers themselves on the above website.

************************************ 

Dominion Government Steamer Quadra, Captain Hackett, arrived at the government wharf last night, and will today commence loading for Pachena Point, to which the vessel will carry material to be used in the construction of the lighthouse to be built there. It is hoped, by Dec. It is anticipated that 2 days will be occupied in loading the Steamer, and she will leave without delay to endeavor to land the material before the heavy swells make landing too difficult of accomplishment. [Colonist, 1906-10-05] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 26 – Pachena Point (1906-10-05 to 1908-05-24) →

Lighthouse History – 25 (1906-01-23)

Construction, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Newspapers, , , , , , ,

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.

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

(see the beginning of this tragedy in Lighthouse History – 24 . . .)

 

The Lost: A W Wollstein, 24, Oxford, New Zealand; John Rogers, 50, Liverpool; H G Ray, 20, Newport, Monmouth; Evan Jones, 45, Carnarvon; Martin Pedersen, 27, Norway; J Poda, 24, Denmark; P Sorrensen, 20, Denmark. 
The survivors: Captain Davidson; 2nd Officer, W E Edwards; A Ericsen, carpenter; Duncan MacFarlane, steward; John Youngson, cabin boy; Alex Ferson, W Oag, J Robinson, apprentices; George Pine, Edward Hay, Jack O’Flaherty, Paul Handloss, A Gustavson, P Johnson, George Hamilton, AB’s J Dennis, Ordinary Seaman. 
Captain Davidson and 16 other survivors of the wrecked British ship King David, which dragged her anchor and drifted broadside on Bajo Reef, where 2 knuckles of rock penetrated her plates and held her fast while the roiling seas listed her to starboard and rolled her so that the rocks churned the bottom out of her, arrived in Victoria on Sun, having been rescued by the Canadian Pacific Railway Queen City, Captain Townsend, after spending nearly 5 weeks on the shingle beach, sheltering in an abandoned Indian fishing camp, with big driftwood fires burning nightly, vainly seeking to attract attention.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 25 (1906-01-23) →

Search and Rescue (SAR), Canada

British Columbia, Canada, Government, Information, Lighthouses, Medical Emergency, Search & Rescue, , , , , ,
Canadian SAR Regions

One of the responsibilities of Canadian lighthouse keepers is to assist and help in Search and Rescue (SAR). They are part of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and can be called upon to assist in a search at any time, be it for missing people in boats, aircraft, or other forms of transportation.

In fact lighthouse keepers, because of their location, are ideally situated to assist in SAR activities. It is too bad that the CCG does not promote this side of lighthouse activities, and provide better training and equipment. Most of the SAR activities done by lightkeepers are done with their own equipment – be it boats, radios, scanners, survival suits, etc. More on this in another post.

SAR is a large community in Canada, but a branch of SAR that is not too well known by the public, except for those involved, is CASARA (Civil Air Search and Rescue Association).1  Continue reading Search and Rescue (SAR), Canada →

Why We Need MORE Lighthouses in British Columbia

Automation, British Columbia, Canada, Coast Guard, Government, Helicopters, Information, Lighthouses, Maps, News, Planes, Search & Rescue, Ships, Transportation, Travel, Weather, , , , ,

One of the arguments for destaffing the lighthouses in British Columbia (BC), Canada is that they are no longer needed because all vessels have the Global Positioning System (GPS). Canadian mariners must move into the 21st Century they say!

Have you ever looked at British Columbia? The size of British Columbia?

Note the three roads to Vancouver, Bella Bella, and Prince Rupert

British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. With an area of 944,735 square kilometers (364,764 sq mi) it is Canada’s third-largest province. The province itself is eleven times the size of Austria, where I live; nearly four times the size of Great Britain, two and one-half times larger than Japan and larger than every U.S. state except Alaska. 1 Continue reading Why We Need MORE Lighthouses in British Columbia →