Tag Archives: lighthouse

Mise Tales Four

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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″]

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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 →

Lighthouse History – 44 (1916-03-26 to 1916-08-25)

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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) →

Book – 1855 Lights for Lighthouses

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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.) 

BC Lightships

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Thomas F. Bayard Sandheads No. 16 - photograph Canadian Coast Guard

 

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 →

Triangle Island Light and the HMCS Galiano

Adult Memories, British Columbia, Communication, Construction, Equipment, Government, History, In Memorium, Incidents, Lighthouses, Military, Operators, Radio, Shipwrecks, Storms, Women, , , , , , ,
Back side of Triangle Island - Jack Bowerman photo from http://www.roughradio.ca

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.

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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:

Triangle Island light - © Alec Provan

 

 

In Memorium – Prospect Point Lighthouse – Automated!

Adult Memories, Anti-Automation, Automation, British Columbia, Equipment, Foghorns, History, In Memorium, Keepers, Light, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, , , , ,

Prospect Point Lighthouse

Latitude 49 18 50.4N, Longitude 123 08 29.1W       List of Lights #392 

Established: October 01, 1888       Automated: January 1926 

Three nautical miles east of Point Atkinson, situated at the base of a cliff, stands the lonely and short-lived lighthouse called Prospect Point.

The light was first manned in October 1888 and was overshadowed by the importance of the Signal Station on the cliff above. This signal station operated in conjunction with Brockton Point  to signal when ships were coming into or out of Vancouver Harbour. 

In January 1926 the poor lightkeeper was informed by the Department of Marine and Fisheries that the lighthouse would be electrified and would then be operated by the Prospect Point Signal Station. He was out of a job after years keeping both systems working.

Prospect Point Lighthouse keeper’s house 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Prospect Point Lighthouse (bottom) Signal Station (top)
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Victoria passing Prospect inbound 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

Princess Patricia Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

SS Prince Rupert Passing Prospect 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

 

Prospect Point Signal Station 1920 – 1930
Photo by Cyril R. Littlebury from Dudley Booth Collection

The photo below shows what replaced the lighthouse – a concrete block structure with a light on top and several small electric foghorns.

 

Prospect Point 2006
Photo from Imran Flickr pages

 

Prospect Point 2006
Modern light, modern ship
Photo from pwhsu48 Webshots page.

As mentioned above, the Prospect Point and Brockton Point signal stations monitored ship traffic in and out of Vancouver harbour. 

Just across the harbour from Prospect Point, at the mouth of the Capilano river, was the tiny little-known Capilano lighthouse (aka First Narrows). (see Capilano webpage here.) 

Below is a photo taken from the mouth of the Capilano River showing Prospect Point today and the the probable view from the Capilano lighthouse. Beside it is a Google Earth map showing the exact location of the three lighthouses. 

Prospect Point 2006 From mouth of Capilano river
Notice – no signal station
Photo from Glamorous_Life Flickr page.

Google Earth map Showing Vancouver harbour lights
Photo from Google Earth printout.

In this 360° view you can see Prospect Point off the right-hand side of the bridge. As the scene sweeps across the harbour, The sandbanks of the Capilano River come into view with the dolphin visible in deeper water. (Zoom in using Shift, and out with Ctrl key; Pause by clicking on photo).

Keepers
John Grove PLK (1888-1926)  

Manual – 1953 Rules and Instructions for Lighthouse-Keepers

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Published in 1953, this book laid down the rules and regulations for Lighthouse-Keepers. It was the LAW!

Download the complete book here in PDF format (14.5 MBs – right click the link for more options)

If you wish to print the book, the published size was 6.5″ x 9.25″ (16.5 x 23.25 cms.) 

Roy Henry Vickers – Native Art Extraordinaire

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Trial island - Roy Henry Vickers

I met Roy in Smithers, British Columbia at the Heartstrings store where he was signing some of his works. I mentioned that I was writing about the BC lighthouses and their keepers and said that I would look him up one day to promote his work. On his website it says:

 

Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books.

In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse.

Roy has received many awards and honours for his art and community involvement. Among them are a hereditary chieftainship and several hereditary names he has received from Northwest Coast First Nations. – with permission Roy Henry Vickers website

I purchased the above card as it showed Trial Island lighthouse in the distance, but according to Roy, he has many more lighthouse art prints. If they arrive before this gets online, I will add them here; if not, later. Continue reading Roy Henry Vickers – Native Art Extraordinaire →

Lighthouse History – 43 – Amphitrite (1914-01-06 to 1915-03-26)

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 Nootka Light, 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.

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Dominion Government Steamer lighthouse tender Estevan will clear Victoria for Ucluelet, with the lifeboat on board. Yesterday the craft was hoisted aboard and stowed on the foredeck, where it will remain until discharged at Ucluelet, where everything is in readiness for the reception, and with her arrival there will be tried out by the lifesaving crew. 

After discharging the new power boat Estevan will take the lifeboat, at present stationed there, to Clayoquot, and the surf boat now at that point, will be brought South to Clo-oose. Estevan will also establish a gas lighted beacon at Channel Rk, Barkley Sound, to replace the one which broke adrift recently in a Southeast gale. 
While away from Port Estevan will also establish a temporary white light at Amphitrite Point, to mark the point, pending the construction of a new lighthouse. The unattended light at Amphitrite was carried away last week in a gale. [Colonist, 1914-01-06]

 

 Plans for the new lighthouse to be established at Amphitrite Point, Ucluelet Arm, have just been received at the local offices of the Marine Dept. Work on the new structure will be started early in the new year and the contract will be rushed to completion as quickly as the weather will allow. The plans call for a reinforced concrete tower, which, when completed, will be 30′ in height. 
The tower will be surmounted by a 5th order lens, giving an adequate flashing radius for that section of the coast. Lighthouse tender Leebro will be used in transporting the construction materials from Victoria to Amphitrite Point, and it is expected that she will make her 1st trip there after the Xmas holidays. [Colonist, 1914-12-15]

 

Construction materials for the new lighthouse at Amphitrite Point will be taken on Leebro’s next trip North. As soon as possible after the New Year, Leebro, Captain Hunter, laden with cement and other materials that will go towards the construction of the concrete tower, will leave port for Amphitrite Point. It is expected that she will be almost exclusively engaged in transporting material to the site until such time as the structure is completed. 
Dominion Government Steamer Estevan, Captain Barnes, flagship of the fleet, is due to put to sea on Mon next with supplies for West Coast Vancouver Island. She will first proceed to Estevan to carry out some work at West Coast Vancouver Island Stations. [Colonist, 1914-12-30]

 

Within the next 2 weeks the new lighthouse at Amphitrite Point will be blinking its powerful rays seaward to the North of Barkley Sound. 
Lighthouse tender Leebro, Captain Hunter, in port yesterday from West Coast Vancouver Island, brought the news that the lighthouse is in the final stages of completion. 
When Leebro left there the workmen were putting the final touches to the 2nd storey of the lighthouse, and practically everything was in readiness for placing the lantern in position. The structure, which is built of solid concrete, is 2-storeys in height, and will be surmounted by a 5th order light. The construction of the lighthouse has been carried out in a remarkably short space of time. 
Captain Hunter says the recent trip to West Coast Vancouver Island was made under most favorable conditions, there being a total absence of gales, usually frequent at this season. 
Leebro is now loading and will put to sea with the last consignment of supplies for the light on Fri. [Colonist, 1915-02-24]

 

Mariners are officially notified that the new concrete lighthouse, at Amphitrite Point, West Coast Vancouver Island, to replace the former lighthousewhich was washed away during a heavy gale last fall, has been put into operation. [Colonist, 1915-03-26]

Just Ships – All About Lighthouses

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The Studio of JUST SHIPS, located in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, produces three dimensional stained glass, wood, and metal artwork.

Whenever possible the material used is from re-cycled sources. Scrap metal, bottles, old copper pipes, electrical cables, driftwood and computer parts are utilised to manufacture these unique and individual sculptures.

Just Ships re-creations of commercial fishing boats, lighthouses and Tall ships, depict the vanishing maritime lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest . Continue reading Just Ships – All About Lighthouses →