Tag Archives: lighthouse

Bear! Attack!

Lighthouses, Old Website, Wildlife, , , ,
’Bear between houses
’Bear between houses

After all the recent newspaper articles about bear attacks in British Columbia [2011], I thought it fitting to air this article. This happened on Addenbroke Island lighthouse April 2006 and below is the story as told to me by the lighthouse keeper in his own words:

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– from Dennis Rose (present Principal Keeper on Addenbroke Island) 

This was the first bear I have ever run into that didn’t know what a gun was. He did start to come up the steps to the house one time and that’s when I started trying to chase him off. I tried to scare him off with a few rounds from my shotgun but that just made him curious.

 

I was busy building crates and getting ready to move and couldn’t stay indoors like Coast Guard wanted me to do. He would come over every time I would start up a Skill saw or a drill. Continue reading Bear! Attack! →

Lighthouse History – 02 (1860-06-09 to 1865-12-28)

Equipment, History, Keepers, Lighthouses, , , , , , ,
Fresnel Lens
Fresnel Lens

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.

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Esquimalt Lighthouse (Fisgard Lighthouse – ed) is now completed, except the lantern… [Colonist, 1860-06-09, p. 2]

By the Grecian the lanterns for the Fisguard Is and Race Rocks lighthouses, and the keepers of the same, arrived… [Colonist, 1860-08-09]

Schooner Meg Merillee has arrived from Barclay Sound, and reports that in passing the Race rocks yesterday morning a black flag was observed flying from the top of the lighthouse. Was it intended as a sign that some person had died? We feel anxious to know the cause of the display. [Workmen who had gone down to repair the lighthouse, and out of provisions, had lived on clams alone for 5 days] [Colonist, 1862-04-17] Continue reading Lighthouse History – 02 (1860-06-09 to 1865-12-28) →

LEGO Lighthouse

Lighthouses, Souvenirs,
LEGO lighthouse
LEGO lighthouse

As this is a family website, created for all lovers of lighthouses, and especially our British Columbia (BC) lighthouses, then the site should cater to all people.

If your child is into LEGO, then here is a small LEGO lighthouse they can build.

Clicking on the photo will bring up a larger image, which can also be enlarged enough for printing.

If parts are not available, then you can order them from a LEGO store like this one in USA. This LEGO outlet also has a product called “Lighthouse Island”, item #5770 which you can see here.

Are there any more LEGO lighthouse ideas or products out there?

 

Lighthouse History – 01 (1859-12-01 to 1860-06-09)

Equipment, History, Keepers, Lighthouses, , , , , , ,
Fresnel lighthouse lens - diagram
Fresnel lighthouse lens – diagram

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.

I have started this with the earliest paper of 1858. When you go on the newspaper website you can see more details in the scanned copies of the old papers. The newspaper links to the scanned copies are located at the end of each short summary (see the excerpts below).

When Ms. Taylor sent me the information, I was overwhelmed. Here was a source of names for past lighthouse keepers for my Lighthouse Keeper Database.

And now on to the newspaper excerpts . . .

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Captain Nagle purposes erecting a temporary lighthouse on McCauley’s Point (McCauley Point – ed). He has already purchased a lantern at a cost of $100. This is a very necessary improvement, for it will be remembered that about 3 months ago Eliza Anderson ran by the harbor into Esquimalt in a dark, rainy night. Besides, we believe that we are correct in stating that the Major Tompkins was lost there several years ago. [Colonist, 1859-12-01]

Coroner’s jury in the case of Edward Jones, who died on Waddington alley, Apr 12, censured the policeman having him in charge very severely, for not promptly summoning medical aid…Deceased had been employed as a cook at one of the lighthouses in the vicinity of this harbor (Berens Island?). He entered the Chinese restaurant on Waddington Alley in a high state of intoxication…page 1 [Colonist, 1860-04-14]

Esquimalt Light House – H. O. Tiedemann did lighthouse and Wright the house for the keeper, long article, number of mentions of Wright [Colonist, 1860-06-09, p. 2]

Esquimalt Lighthouse (Fisgard Lighthouse – ed.) designed by Mr. Tidieman [sic] of Surveyor General’s office, the light tower and house for the keeper erected by well-known architect John Wright – full description [Colonist, 1860-06-09, p. 2]

 

‘The Watchers’ Poster

Automation, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, ,

The Watchers Poster

Here is a very nice poster printed back in the 1980s during another period when the government was attempting to automate Canadian lighthouses.

Titled “The Watchers”, the text is particularly appropriate now:

“For more than a century they have kept watch. At first, for sailing ships on the BC coast. Today, mammoth cruise ships and container vessels pass their light; small kayaks are towed ashore; hikers drop by for warm tea. They are the 30 remaining lightkeepers on our coast. For now, they still watch.”

Following the above text is a list of the thirty lighthouse keepers, and the stations they manned then. Unfortunately, some of the keepers are no longer with us.

They started in early 1970s and even today they mention automation – if the government has its way the lighthouses will also no longer be with us.

Triple Island 3rd Order Lens

Automation, Coast Guard, Construction, Equipment, History, Information, Lighthouses, Old Website, , , , , , , , ,

Triple Island lens © C. Mills

 

This light was first made available to mariners on January 1st, 1921 to travel to the bustling port of Prince Rupert from the north. It was originally fired by a pressurized gas vapour lamp which would have been visible for over 12 miles (19 kilometers).

Electric generators installed in the late 1960s  replaced this vapour lamp with an incandescent lamp and later with a mercury vapour lamp as seen in some of the photos below.

The lamp, reflector and base all floated on a large bowl of mercury. Even though the light weighed hundreds of pounds, it could be turned easily with one finger.

The Canadian government declared mercury a hazardous substance (like asbestos) in the 1990s and removed it from all work places. Reluctantly, the lamp was no longer usable.

Also, because of the planned automation of the lights which has gone on since the early 1970s, there was no reason to replace or modify the light and its housing – the Coast Guard abandoned it as a an Aid to Navigation.

The photos below show what replaced it. An APRB 252 12 volt battery-operated “flashlight”.

In Memorium – Steve Bergh (1949 – 2010)

In Memorium, Keepers, Lighthouses, , , , , ,
Steve Bergh

Steve Bergh (October 28, 1949 – August 16, 2010) Vancouver Island lightkeeper earned respect for his caring attitude toward others.
Lightkeeper Steve Bergh was a father, fisherman, loyal friend and strong advocate for staffed lighthouses on the West Coast.
Bergh, 60, died Monday in hospital of cancer. He’d been diagnosed less than two weeks before he died.
“He lived life to the fullest and he had no regrets,” said Alice Woods, his wife of 37 years.
When Bergh got the devastating news that he was not going to recover, he looked at friends and family gathered in the hospital room and declared himself a lucky man.
But those who knew Bergh believed they were the lucky ones.
“He was an extremely loyal friend,” said Garth Mirau, a retired commercial fisherman from Nanaimo. “I’ve seen a couple times where Steve went way beyond what you expect from a friend to help people out.”
When a friend’s wife died, Bergh took time away from work to stay with his friend — and kept the house going for the difficult days following the death.
“I think he’d like to be remembered as a human being who was really interested in his neighbours,” Mirau said. “It sounds a bit corny, but he was a really caring guy and was really interested in what people thought. I was always happy after I talked to him.”
Bergh was born in California in 1950 and worked as a commercial fisherman before coming to Canada in 1971 and settling on the B.C. coast. He became a lighthouse keeper in 1973, taking over Estevan Point on the west coast of Vancouver Island. His last post was Chatham Point in Johnstone Strait.
Friend and fisherman Danny Lee knew Bergh for 20 years and says his service to fishermen will be remembered.
“If you had a problem, he always had a part or something you needed at the lighthouse that could keep you fishing,” said Lee. “That’s one thing everybody is going to remember him for. He had a lot of friends in the fishing community.”
Bergh spoke up for lightkeepers as president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s Lightkeepers, Local 20232, founding the Canadian Lightkeepers Association this year.
“He was not just a voice for lightkeepers, he was a voice for mariners and aviators of this coast,” said Woods. “He read the letters the mariners and aviators sent to our representatives in Ottawa pleading with them to retain these services.”
In addressing the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans last May, Bergh said: “I’ve pulled people out of the water, I’ve searched for people who’ve fallen overboard. I’ve provided first aid.
“We provide mechanical repairs to vessels and we provide sanctuary for the shipwrecked. I don’t know what kind of computer can do those kinds of things.”
Working as a lightkeeper is the best way to know how important the job is to those who work on the coast, said Woods. Bergh advised mariners and pilots of changing weather conditions and kept a vigilant watch on marine and air traffic.
“He was a strong advocate for manned lighthouses, but I always felt it went way beyond the fact he happened to be a lightkeeper,” Mirau said. “I think it was because he really believed in community.”
Aside from his wife, Bergh is survived by three sons — Trevor, Jacob and Matthew. A celebration of his life was held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010 at the Marine Heritage Centre in Campbell River, BC.

Posted: Sat, 2010-08-21 19:51 in Canadian Lightkeepers Association website1 Source:  Victoria Times-Colonist

To include your memories in Steve’s memorial please click this link.

More on Steve Bergh’s adventurous life in a Globe and Mail obituary here.

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FOOTNOTE:

1 The Canadian Lightkeepers website does not exist anymore. I received permission to hold the content of the site, and have made the site available here. It is not active. It is just being held for its informative value.

July 29, 2012 – UPDATE: I have now been informed that the Canadian Lightkeepers Association website is again active. Bravo!

In Memorium – Peter (Pete) Fletcher (1937 – 2009)

Adult Memories, In Memorium, Lighthouses, , , ,

My dad died on Oct. 31, 2009. He was born Jan. 1, 1937. He worked at Saturna Island from 1960 to 1964, Cape Scott from 1964 to 1966, and Ballenas Island from 1966 to 1970. When he left the lighthouses, he continued to work for the Canadian Coast Guard at their base in Victoria, and became part of the work crews that went out to repair lighthouses all along the coast. His years on the lighthouses were the happiest ones of his life, and he always took an interest in all things lighthouse related. He was a perfectionist in all he did, and poured concrete sidewalks and curbs at Ballenas, and cleared the brush to make his own little golf course, complete with greens, holes and flags. He took pride in his work and never did anything half way. In the 1980’s he took a picture of the light at Ballenas and had it copied and tattooed onto his shoulder. – Sharon Gagnon (daughter of Pete Fletcher)

To include your memories in Pete’s memorial please click this link.

 Pete Fletcher

 

In Memorium – Rev. Oliver Howard (1927 – 2008)

In Memorium, Keepers, Lighthouses, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oliver R. Howard was born in 1927, and ordained by the British Columbia Conference of the United Church in 1953. His first station was with the Prince Rupert Presbytery in Alert Bay. He subsequently served the Marine Mission in Ocean Falls, the Campbell River Pastoral Charge, the Friendship House in Prince Rupert and the Board of Home Missions in Toronto before taking over as Minister of the Thomas Crosby V (TCV) for the Central Mainland Marine Mission On the TCV he wrote “The Uttermost parts of the sea”, subsequently published under the title “Godships” (Toronto: United Church of Canada, 1984). In 1985 Tony Wade directed a documentary on the United Church mission ship travelling the west coast of Canada to Alaska and back – The Voyage of the Thomas Crosby V. 1985 This two week journey included spectacular scenery viewed by very few people and is available for viewing on Youtube. This film is followed by three more segments from the United Church of Canada: The Voyage of Thomas Crosby V (part 1) The Voyage of Thomas Crosby V (part 2) The Voyage of Thomas Crosby V (part 3) This was the captain/missionary Oliver Howard’s last voyage. The Thomas Crosby mission ship is no longer in operation. Oliver Howard died October 16, 2008. Obituary Oliver R. Howard (1927 – 2008) from classifieds.canada.com A Steady Hand At The Helm Joyce, David, and Kathleen Howard are saddened to announce the passing of long time Port Alberni resident The Reverend Oliver R. Howard on October 16th, 2008. Born in 1927, in Vilna, Alberta, Oliver was the first son of Florence and Austin Howard. The family moved to Creston, British Columbia and later Lulu Island (Richmond) to provide better educational opportunities for their children. Oliver’s ministry with the United Church of Canada spanned over 50 years. In 1953, realizing his parents dream, Oliver graduated from Union College, UBC. He was ordained as a United Church Minister and accepted an invitation from The Board Of Home Missions to be Skipper and Missionary on the Robert C. Scott based out of Alert Bay, BC. On October 2, 1954, Oliver married Joyce M. Dunn (Woodstock, Ontario). They have two children, David and Kathleen. Oliver then qualified as a Master Mariner in 1959. As Captain and Missionary, he served aboard the Thomas Crosby IV anchoring at native communities, light houses, and float camps from Alert Bay to Prince Rupert. In 1960 he came ashore to take a pastoral charge at Campbell River United Church. In 1964 the family moved north to Prince Rupert where Oliver served in church administration before moving to the national office in 1966. In Toronto, Oliver worked with the Board of Home Missions and supervised student internships. Returning to B.C. in 1975, he served as Master of the Thomas Crosby V (TCV). In 1984, his book, `Godships’, an historical and personal account of the church’s 100 years of seagoing missions on the coast was published. Oliver served in a team ministry at Metropolitan United in Victoria in 1985 then in 1987, his final pastoral call was to St. Andrew’s United Church in Port Alberni. After retiring in 1992, he served as President of BC Conference; oversaw pensions and made visitations to retired ministers; sat on the board of Moorecroft Camp; served as Minister Emeritus of Alberni Valley United Church; a Founder of the Alberni Valley Community Foundation and remained an active supporter of Alberni region organizations. Always a loving and supportive son, brother, husband, father, mentor and friend he was predeceased by his parents, sister Joyce and brother Allan. He is survived by his sister, Gay Harrigan (Mike) in Nanaimo; his daughter-in-law, Deborah (Vancouver); granddaughter, Laura (Ghana); and a close extended family. The family is grateful for the care provided by Dr. Alan Fraser, as well as West Coast General Hospital, Royal Jubilee & Ty Watson House. Without their caring assistance we could not have ushered Oliver so peacefully onto his next port of call. A Celebration of Life for The Rev. Oliver R. Howard was held on October 26th at 2:00pm at Alberni Valley United Church, 3747 Church Street, Port Alberni. In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations be made to either: Alberni Valley United Church, 3747 Church Street, Port Alberni BC V9Y 1T5 or Alberni Valley Hospice Society, 2649 2nd Ave., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 1Z8

To include your memories in Oliver’s memorial please click this link.

The Rev. Howard was never a lighthouse keeper but he was a friend to the lighthouse keeper’s – a very good friend.

[private]
Joyce Howard Obituary (1922 – 2011)

Hello friend! – Play On Mom!

David and Kathleen Howard and family are saddened to announce the passing of long time Port Alberni resident, Joyce M. Howard, on July 30th. 2011

Born in 1922, in Woodstock, Ontario, Joyce was the first daughter of Rose and Charles Dunn. Raised in Woodstock, Joyce boldly moved west in 1952 to take up the post of Secretary to Dr. William S. Taylor at Union College in Vancouver.

It was during her time at Union College that Joyce met Oliver R. Howard. After Oliver’s graduation and ordination as a United Church Minister, the couple wed on Oct 2, 1954 and moved to Alert Bay, B.C. to take up marine ministry. They have 2 children, David and Kathleen.

During their 54 years of marriage Joyce and Oliver served the United Church of Canada in Ocean Falls, Campbell River, Prince Rupert, Toronto, Victoria and Oliver’s final pastoral call, St. Andrew’s United Church, in Port Alberni. Joyce was active as a leader in Explorers, in the United Church Women and in Presbyterial.

When Oliver retired in 1992, the couple remained in the valley as active supporters of Alberni region organizations.

Always a loving and supportive daughter, sister, wife, mother, and caring friend Joyce was pre-deceased by her husband Oliver, parents, and brother Bill. She is survived by her sister, Marie Dunn in Saskatoon; her son, David, daughter-in-law, Deborah (Vancouver); granddaughter, Laura (Montreal); daughter, Kathleen and a close extended family.

The family is grateful for the care and compassion provided by Dr. Kerry DeWitt; Joyce had many friends among the staff and residents of Heritage Place and Echo Village; her church family at Alberni Valley United. Without their caring assistance Joyce would not have left so peacefully to go to her next great piano concert venue. You will know her as she passes with her cheerful greeting of “Hello Friend!”

A Celebration of Life for Joyce Howard will be held on August 5th at 1:00pm at Alberni Valley United Church, 3747 Church Street, Port Alberni.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to either:

Alberni Valley United Church
3747 Church Street
Port Alberni BC
V9Y 1T5
or
Alberni-Clayoquot Continuing Care Society
4200 10th Ave
Port Alberni, BC
V9Y 4X3
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In Memorium – Annie Frances (Arden) Sullivan (1909 – 2007)

Adult Memories, Children, Genealogy, In Memorium, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, Rowboat, , , , , ,

The Passing of a Lot of Memories

To include your memories in Annie’s memorial please click this link.

– In Memorium posted in the Victoria Times-Colonist October 24, 2007

If any members of the family have photos or stories of the life on Sheringham Point lighthouse, I would be pleased to present them here. I am sorry for your loss – she really did live an adventurous life.