Tag Archives: litehouse

Book – Godships by Oliver R. Howard (1927 – 2008)

Adult Memories, Books, British Columbia, Canada, History, In Memorium, Information, Lighthouses, Medical, Mission Boats, Old Website, Ships, Women, , , , , , ,

Godships – Little Ships Carry the Gospel Up the BC Coast by Oliver R. Howard

This is a story of the pioneering efforts of the United Church (UC) Marine Mission on the coast of British Columbia. It involves boats and boating in missionary work up and down the BC coast, visiting Indian villages, lumber camps, mining camps, isolated hermits and lighthouses.

 

 

Paperback: 8vo, 239 pages, : ill., maps, bibliography 237-239.
Publisher: United Church Observer (1984)
ISBN-10: 0919920071
ISBN-13: 978-0919920071
Library of Congress: E78.B9 H68 1984
Availability: Used (Out of Print)

Continue reading Book – Godships by Oliver R. Howard (1927 – 2008) →

Lighthouse Libraries and Their Book Boxes

Adult Memories, Books, British Columbia, Canada, Childhood Memories, Children, Coast Guard, Groceries & Mail, Helicopters, Lighthouses, Mission Boats, Ships, , , , , ,
Thomas Crosby V

After writing about the Bookboats and how the Thomas Crosby V used to bring us books to read from their onboard library, I was reminded of the libraries on each lighthouse I worked on. Each keeper that worked the island would leave a few books behind, mostly pocketbooks, and they would take with them new ones from our library.

Library on McInnes Island - photo Paul Kurbis

On McInnes Island lighthouse we had a library of a few hundred pocket books of all sorts. Sometimes, when we got desperate for new reading material we boxed up a bunch of books and sent them off to another lighthouse in return for a box of theirs. We also traded off magazines and newspapers whenever a helicopter came by. Continue reading Lighthouse Libraries and Their Book Boxes →

Lighthouse History – 17 (1902-01-17 to 1902-01-28)

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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.

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Queen City returned to port yesterday, bringing further advices regarding the derelict Schooner which has been washed onto the coast after the seas have exhausted their wrath upon it, but the identity of the lost vessel still remains in doubt. It seems that the crew of the wrecked vessel have been lost, for, although a boat has been found by Indians at Village I, intact and unbroken, no trace has been found of any shipwrecked seamen. This boat, which was located by Indians and reported by them to Captain Townsend, is a common ship’s boat, but as far as could be learned, there was no name, number or mark upon it, by which it might be identified. Sails, running gear, blocks, etc, are also coming ashore amongst the miscellaneous wreckage which the seas are casting upon the rocks, Continue reading Lighthouse History – 17 (1902-01-17 to 1902-01-28) →

I have installed a Guestbook at the request from a friend of mine. She thought it would be a good idea, and so do I. Use it to communicate with each other and pass on information, or to comment on something written. Also, please use it to tell me what is wrong –  errors, misspellings, missing links, etc. That way we can keep the material up-to-date and correct. Thanks. Hope to see you on here.

By the way, the comments section is still open – use it just to comment on each article rather than as a general comment on the site, or use both.

The Guestbook can be found above this article listed just below the main photograph on each page, or click here.

Lighthouse History – 16 (1902-01-14)

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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.

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Queen City, which returned to port from Ahousett and way ports on West Coast Vancouver Island yesterday, brought more news of wreckage. At 2 ports at which she called on her down trips news was given to her officer, meagre, but alarming, of a vessel seen off the coast floating bottom upward. This latest victim of the heavy gales was unidentified, and all that could be learned was that she was a good-sized sailing vessel, which was described by the Indians as a Schooner, thought to be a 3-master. It was at Clo-oose that the 1st news of the derelict was received. Rev Mr Stone reported that Indians had come in after sighting the derelict floating bottom upward a short distance off the coast. No particulars were learned by him which might render her identification possible.  Continue reading Lighthouse History – 16 (1902-01-14) →

Thomas Crosby V – One of the “Bookboats”

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TCV underway

One of the most frequent visitors to the lighthouses, beside the Coast Guard (CG) ships and helicopters, was the United Church medical mission boat, nicknamed a God-Boat or Godship, the Thomas Crosby V (TCV).

The following article used to be on the Prince Rupert Library (PRL) website. The article was borrowed with their permission before it was removed from their website.

In this story the boats were nicknamed the “Bookboats” because they brought with them a library of books, both fiction and non-fiction for all ages, plus an assortment of magazines. After the Prince Rupert Library ceased sending boxes of books to the lighthouses, the TCV was one of our only sources of reading material.

TCV at Boat Bluff - photo Ed Whitebone

Not only books, they also brought friendship, and on many trips, a nurse. The nurses were most welcome to families with young children, advising on baby problems and administering inoculations when required. The minister on board came as a friend and was welcomed as one. They performed baptisms and weddings, and provided counselling when required. Just like the lightkeepers, the ministers on the Thomas Crosby V were jack-of-all-trades. – JAC Continue reading Thomas Crosby V – One of the “Bookboats” →

Memories of Boat Bluff c. 1980s

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– Ray MacKenzie (Assistant Keeper on Boat Bluff 1982 – 1986) 

Boat Bluff at low tide, Summer 2003; Mike Higgins photo

My wife Petra and myself and our dog Butch arrived on Boat Bluff Lightstation on the 2nd day of October, 1982 aboard the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker “CCGS Wolfe”, having been picked up in Port Hardy by Capt. Mellis on the CCGS WOLFE whilst it was on it’s fall re-fuelling run.

It had been a very nice, albeit long trip, as we were on the fall refuelling run. We had an opportunity to go ashore at a few of the stations which made it very interesting to a couple of greenhorns with stars in their eyes.  Continue reading Memories of Boat Bluff c. 1980s →

A Casualty of Automation

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      The following was an actual advertisement in an Irish newspaper: 

      1985 Blue Volkswagen Golf
      Only 15 km
      Only first gear and reverse used
      Never driven hard
      Original tires
      Original brakes
      Original fuel and oil
      Only 1 driver
      Owner wishing to sell due to employment lay-off

At least according to Dan’s Lighthouse Page.

 

A Return to Foghorns a Boon to Safety Even in Age of GPS

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photo - Chris Mills

A return to foghorns a boon to safety even in age of GPS

by Glen Farrough,  Vancouver Sun, September 08, 2011

It’s been roughly eight years since the Coast Guard silenced most of the foghorns on our coastal lighthouses, for a saving of $75,000 per year. The main reason used to justify this move was the increasingly widespread use of global positioning system (GPS) devices.

But this same Coast Guard still feels it’s necessary to have all their visual aids to navigation in place. They maintain their system of day markers, cardinal buoys, lighthouses, etc. Continue reading A Return to Foghorns a Boon to Safety Even in Age of GPS →

Drowning at Lawyer Island c. 1904

British Columbia, Childhood Memories, Coast Guard, In Memorium, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Ships, Women, , , , , , ,
Lawyer Island Lighthouse; photo - CCG Prince Rupert

In the Lighthouses of British Columbia guestbook I came across an entry by an “M. W. Harding”. He stated that his grandfather had been the first lighthouse keeper on Lawyer Island, near Prince Rupert, BC, and had accidentally drowned. I contacted Mr. Harding and got more information from him about his grandfather’s death. – JAC

– Ned Harding (Grandson of Thomas Harvey who was Senior Keeper at Lawyer Island 1921 – c.1905)

I have some information regarding the Lawyer Island Lighthouse. This information was given to me by my mother who was the daughter of the original keeper. The keeper’s name was Thomas Harvey who took care of the light starting approximately 1901. He was married to my grandmother in 1898 and my mother was born in Vancouver in 1899.

My mother and grandmother were also at Lawyer Island from about 1902. The grandmother’s name was Hannah G. Harvey, and my mother’s original name was Frances T. Harvey. The light was tended by this duo until 1904 when my grandfather was lost in the sea while rowing to Prince Rupert as was his practice from time to time.

CCGS Quadra; photo - CCG

When he failed to return, the light was tended by my grandmother. She kept the light operating for about two weeks after he disappeared. She also lit a huge bonfire on the beach to attract attention to her plight. After the incident, she and my mother were returned to Vancouver on the Coast Guard Ship “Quadra”.

I have no knowledge as to who the new lightkeeper was after my grandfather was lost. We have little more than this account since it appears little other history remains of this light and the Coast Guard has been no help. When I grew up as a youngster I was apprised of this account by my grandmother and my mother, both of them sadly long since passed.