groceries – Lighthouse Memories

Grocery Mishap at Kains Island (Quatsino) c.1975

March 2, 2012accident, BC, foam, groceries, lighthouse, litehouse, mail, sea foam, workboatAdult Memories, Coast Guard, Equipment, Groceries & Mail, Incidents, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Storms, WorkboatsretlkprLeave a Comment

The landing under the hook (aka highline) at Kains Island was a large basin at the back side. It looked like a very large boulder had been washed out from the hole. It was a bit tricky if the swell was running to bring the station inflatable in safely but we never had a accident in […]

Sisters Island Lighthouse c. 1927-1928 – Short Stories

February 24, 2012adventures, BC, groceries, Henry H. | Smithman, lighthouse, litehouse, mail, Sisters IslandAdult Memories, Childhood Memories, Equipment, Foghorns, Government, Groceries & Mail, Incidents, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Stories, WomenretlkprLeave a Comment

Groceries at Sisters Island c. 1927 – Elizabeth Kate (Stannard) Smithman (Wife of Henry Herbert Smithman who was Senior Keeper at Sisters Island 1927 – 1929) Light keepers have to take a four-month supply of food when they go on as there’s no way of getting anything otherwise. No stores to run to and no neighbours […]

Supplies for Cape Scott Lighthouse 1975

February 15, 20121975, accident, Cape Scott, CCGS Douglas, groceries, lighthouse, litehouse, ship, Sir James | Douglas, workboatAdult Memories, Boats, Coast Guard, Construction, Equipment, Groceries & Mail, Incidents, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Ships, Workboatsretlkpr2 Comments

In 1975 we (myself, my wife Karen and our two young children, our dog, cats, and all our furnishings) were on our way clockwise around Vancouver Island from Quatsino lighthouse to Pachena Point on board the CCGS Sir James Douglas with acting Captain Tom Hull. This was a grocery run so the trip was already pre-planned and we […]

Groceries and Mail on a Lighthouse

February 5, 2012BC, Canada, groceries, helicopters, lighthouse, litehouse, mail, McInnes Island, post, Post office, shipsAdult Memories, Coast Guard, Fishing, Groceries & Mail, Helicopters, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, ShipsretlkprLeave a Comment

Some of you may wonder why the number of stories about re-supplying the lighthouses exceeds the others on this site by a large margin (lots more coming!). Next to the family and job, the arrival of the mail and groceries was the most important event in the life of the lightkeeping family. Imagine no telephone, […]

I Remember . . . c. early 1960s

January 18, 2012children, groceries, holidays, Jeannie Hartt, Lanagara, lighthouse, litehouse, memories, schoolingAdult Memories, Boats, Books, Childhood Memories, Children, Equipment, Groceries & Mail, Hobbies, Lighthouses, Travel, WeatherretlkprLeave a Comment

– from Jeannie (Hartt) Nielsen (daughter of Ed Hartt, Senior Keeper on Langara 1957 – 1963) SmellsGrowing up on a total of five different west coast lighthouses I remember certain things that were common to them all. The best day was always supply day (see also the Groceries & Mail Categories). When we were on […]

Pregnancy Provides Problems

July 22, 2011BC, British Columbia, groceries, Langara, lighthouse, litehouse, pregnancy, suppliesEquipment, Groceries & Mail, History, Keepers, Lighthouses, On The JobretlkprLeave a Comment

A month or so ago, Richard Crawford wrote me to say that he had been on Langara Point Lighthouse as a radio operator back in the late 1940s. I asked about his duties there and he wrote me back . . . “My Langara story is short as we were not there for long – […]

Forward to “Groceries and Mail”

July 21, 2011groceries, lighthouse, litehouse, mail, postGroceries & Mail, Lighthouses, Old WebsiteretlkprLeave a Comment

On my old website I wrote the “forward” below for a serious of stories about our groceries and mail – especially the mail! I’ll reprint it here to emphasize the importance of mail again, even in this day and age of computers. Right now I am staying in a small northern BC town. You should […]

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