Tag Archives: McInnes

Foghorns Were Cool Places to Sleep! c. 1980s

Adult Memories, Foghorns, Humour, Lighthouses, Old Website, , , , , , ,

– Roger Mogg (Assistant keeper on McInnes Island 1983 – 1987) 

Airchime horns - photo Chris Mills

Back in the early 1980’s I was offered the job as a assistant lightkeeper at McInnes Island.  I was told at the time that this offer was only for couples, not for singles (this turned out to be false information). I had just broken up with my long term girlfriend so assumed I would have to decline the offer. 

At the last moment I happened to meet a girl named Liz Robertson, and she seemed like the outdoors kind of person that one would have to be to enjoy life at a lightstation. After hardly enough time to know her first we agreed to go to start life as lightkeepers at one of the more remote stations in British Columbia. 

Coast Guard took us there in one of their lighthouse tenders (ships) that also doubled as an icebreaker. After the ship refueled each and every station on the way up from Victoria , we finally arrived at McInnes Island, one of the most scenic places on the planet earth. 

We were real busy the first day as you can imagine. Unpacking all of our belongings, opening up house windows that had been sealed for years with paint, trying to learn weather transmissions, and generaly getting to know how the station operated.

Looks like it just landed

One of Liz’s prized possesions was this cat of hers that was as black as charcoal. John Coldwell the senior keeper was giving me the grand tour of the station and we were in the radio room teaching me how to test the foghorns. Now these foghorms were massive things designed to be heard at sea for several miles in heavy weather (banks of grey painted Airchime horns facing south into the sun and open sea – ed.). 

At this time Liz came running up in a big panic and said that she had just witnessed something black shoot out of one of the foghorns at high speed. We went to investigate and found her cat maybe fifty meters away shaking like something out of a bad cartoon. The cat must have climbed inside one of the foghorns because they were a warm place to take a nap. We never saw the cat go within eyesite of those foghorns again. 

[audio:Pulteney_Point_2X_Electronic_Airchime.mp3|titles=Pulteney Point Electronic Airchime]

Radiotelephone Frustration – McInnes Island c. 1970s – 2000

Adult Memories, Communication, Equipment, Lighthouses, Old Website, Operators, Radio, , , , , ,

What a convenience! What an expense! What a frustration!

Radio telephone

Anyone who has used a radio-telephone on the BC coast will agree with me. It was great to have semi-private communications rather than using the government-installed ALAN (Automated Lightstation Alarm Network) phone which was not private, and also broke down. It was expensive to have a privately owned radio-telephone but so nice to be in contact with the rest of the world. 

But sometimes this convenience just added a few more gray hairs to my head. Here’s one example of a conversation! (there are probably many more if anyone wants to add one) 

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

[heard over the radio-telephone speaker, a ringing sound of a telephone as I keyed the microphone (pressed the press-to-talk (PTT) button to get contact with an operator)] 

Operator: Swindle Island [our normal Telus stand-by channel to receive/place phone calls] 

Myself: Hello operator, this is McInnes Island  . May I have privacy please. 

[“privacy” allowed us to have some modicum of secrecy on the radio-telephone line as it blanked out our side of the conversation to other listeners so they could not hear our registration number or other personal details e.g. bank account numbers, etc.]  Continue reading Radiotelephone Frustration – McInnes Island c. 1970s – 2000 →

I Saw a Sunfish

Adult Memories, British Columbia, Fishing, Keepers, Lighthouses, On The Job, Recreation, Weather, , , , , ,
One of 19 photos from the NDR website - three short videos are also there

Last night I saw a documentary on the German TV channel NDR about searching for Sunfish (Mola mola) – Mondfische in the German language which means Moonfish – off the California Coast and off the Italian island of Elba in the Mediterranean Sea.

Now, this is a website about lighthouses – why would I be writing about Sunfish?

 

Small sunfish in the water - photo Paul Howells

Well one year warm California currents moved north – as far north as Prince Rupert, BC. I am not too sure of the exact year but judging from the years with warmest sea surface temperatures 1 I would guess it to be about 1984 as I remember an assistant 2 named Roger Mogg on station at the time. Continue reading I Saw a Sunfish →

Removal of Foghorns on the BC Coast c. 2003

Adult Memories, Automation, British Columbia, Coast Guard, Equipment, Foghorns, History, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Women, , , , , , , ,

 The article below was written in 2003 by Sherrill Kitson, wife of the lightkeeper Rene Kitson, and herself a qualified lightkeeper at the time.

This story will illustrate why lightkeepers, and not electronic sensors, are better weather observers. We can smell the fog, and many a mariner will back us up on that statement.

Now, all we can do is smell the fog, and hope that nobody gets hurt because there are no more foghorns.

(The text below is in a picture. If it is too hard too read, hold down the CTRL key (STRG in Deutsch) and rotate the wheel on your mouse forward or back to increase the photo size – it works on most computers and operating systems.)

 

 

The story is reprinted here with permission of Fisheries and Oceans Canada from their publication Shorelines 2003 (which does not appear to be available online – if anyone knows a link, please let me know).

Photos – McInnes Island Lighthouse 2008

British Columbia, Coast Guard, Equipment, Helicopters, Lighthouses, Photos, Ships, Travel, , ,

Click the thumbnail photos below to see a full-sized picture at the Picasa Web Album of Paul Kurbis. He is a sports fishing guide in British Columbia, Canada. These were taken on a visit to McInnes Island lighthouse in 2008.

   Continue reading Photos – McInnes Island Lighthouse 2008 →

Book – Lighthouse Chronicles by Flo Anderson

Adult Memories, Advertisement, British Columbia, Children, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Stories, Women, , , , , , , ,

Lighthouse Chronicles – Twenty Years on the B.C. Lights

These are the first-hand stories of Flo Anderson and her husband Trevor and their four children as left left the city life in 1961 for a life on the British Columbia lighthouses.

They worked as lighthouse keepers for the next twenty years at Lennard Island, Barrett Rock, McInnes Island, Green Island and Race Rocks.

The book is interesting as it is written from a woman’s point of view.

Many B&W photos give illustration to the narrative.

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Harbour Publishing (1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 155017181X
ISBN-13: 978-1550171815
Product Dimensions: (9″ x 6″) 22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm
Availability: Used (Out of Stock)

Building a Lighthouse – McInnes Island c. 1953

Adult Memories, British Columbia, Childhood Memories, Construction, Equipment, History, Information, Lighthouses, Ships, Transportation, , , ,
McInnes Island (marker with "A" - left) & Shearwater (far lower right)

McInnes Island had a light since 1921. There still are the remains of a wood post and a cement footing high on the SW corner of the island. But then in the early 1950s the Canadian government let a contract to build a lighthouse on the island. This was awarded to Stewart & Slade Construction who worked through 1953 and 1954 to complete the construction.

Ken Stewart 1953

In August of 1953,1 a young man, aged 19 years old at the time, was in the work crew hired by Stewart and Slade Construction. He was actually a relative of the boss as his Dad owned the company! His name was Ken Stewart and he worked with a group of other young men to build the lighthouse. Continue reading Building a Lighthouse – McInnes Island c. 1953 →

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 →

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.

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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 – Ed Harris (1925 – 1987)

Adult Memories, British Columbia, Coast Guard, Construction, Icebreakers, In Memorium, Information, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, Ships, , , , , , , , , , ,
Ed Harris

Edgar (Ed) Dennis Harris Born November 12th 1925 at Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Islands, BC. A second generation Salt Spring Island Hawaiian. Ed married Margaret (Greta) Carlton in Victoria on October 19th, 1946. he had 4 daughters: Lonie Belsey, Lynne Donaldson, Lorna Carrigan and Lorie Palmer and stepdaughter Linda Varcoe.
 
Ed lived in Victoria, BC and started work with the Canadian Coast Guard in the early 1950’s. In April of 1958 Ed was accepted into the Scholarship Program for Ships Officer training. Based out of Victoria agency, Ed served on the CGM Berens , CGS Estevan, CGS Sir James Douglas and other CCG vessels too numerous to mention.
 
In 1960 Ed successful competed for the position of Superintendent of Lights with the Department of Transport, Prince Rupert Agency. Edgar and Greta, along with 3 girls moved to Prince Rupert arriving by Coast Guard ship in October 1960. Shortly after moving to Prince Rupert the Harris’s were blessed with their 4th daughter Lorie.
 
Upon arriving in his new position in Prince Rupert, Ed worked under District Marine Agent, Capt. Ormsby. As Superintendent of Lights he worked very closely with the lightkeepers all along the BC coast – north to Langara and south to the tip of Vancouver Island. He took his position as Superintendent of Lights very seriously as evidence by his personal commitment to visit all the lighthouses in his jurisdiction. He always made a special effort during the holiday season to visit the families on the stations along with Jolly Old Saint Nick.
 
It was a special treat for me to be able to accompany him from time to time on his visits to the stations and witness the joy he brought to the families that tended the lightstations.
 
After a number of years as Superintendent of Lights his duties were expanded to include Inland Aids to Navigation which required him to travel to such places as Hay River, Carcross, Whitehorse and Fort St. James. Eventually Ed was promoted to the position of District Marine Agent in the Prince Rupert Agency and served in that position until retiring in 1984.
 
Edgar and Greta moved to their hobby farm in Kitwanga, BC. In July of 1987.
 
Dad became ill and he was diagnosed with primary brain cancer and passed away on October 08, 1987. He is survived by his wife Greta, 4 daughters, 1 stepdaughter and 14 grandchildren. Many of Ed’s family followed in his footsteps working for the Canadian Coast Guard. Today there are two son-in-laws and one grandson working. Edgar’s oldest daughter worked for CCG in the 1980s and a grandson and nephew in the 1990s. Kevin Carrigan (son-in-law) is the Superintendent Marine Navigation Services, Victoria CCG; Leslie Palmer (son-in-law) is an officer on the Rescue Vessel with Prince Rupert CCG and Nathan Rochon (grandson) is a Carpenter at the CCG Base Prince Rupert. This text was created for this website by Lonie (Harris) Belsey  June 28, 2012.

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

Below is a poem written by Captain Robert (Bob) Mellis in memory of Ed Harris. Ed was well-liked by all personnel on the BC coast – a man well-missed.

(click for larger size)