Tag Archives: supplies

Life on Nootka Lighthouse c. 1950s

British Columbia, Canada, Childhood Memories, Coast Guard, Communication, Foghorns, Groceries & Mail, Incidents, Keepers, Lighthouses, Photos, Radio, School, Storms, Tsunami, Weather, , , , , , ,

Here is another story from Ms. Juanita (Swanson) DuLong. She was a young girl on most of these stations, but living there, and hearing stories from her parents, she has created   lighthouse memories from the 1950s time. Her older stories are found here, here and here. One more to come she says. 

It is said that for every person on earth, there is a place our soul will recognize as home.

Nootka lighthouse

Sometime in 1955, I was lucky enough to find that Nootka was mine. Ever since, no
matter where or how I was living, I went home whenever possible. Today, my husband
and I live on the West coast of Vancouver Island, not far from Nootka Island.

Nootka Lighthouse is picturesque, with 360 degree views of scenery. The area is steeped in history, being the true birthplace of B.C. Brick fragments are still sometimes found from the Spanish fort that so long ago enjoyed those same views.

But , I wasn’t yet ten years old, and history wasn’t uppermost in a little girl’s mind. Continue reading Life on Nootka Lighthouse c. 1950s →

Derrick Operation at Boat Bluff c. 2004

British Columbia, Coast Guard, Construction, Equipment, Fishing, Groceries & Mail, Keepers, Lighthouses, Old Website, On The Job, Photos, Recreation, Search & Rescue, Workboats, , , , , , , ,
Derrick at Boat Bluff - photo Mike Mitchell

The derrick is another lifting device used on stations that do not have a rock in the sea for a highline and where seas were also relatively calm. It was used like the highline to lift and lower items to and from the work boats or lower the keeper’s boat or station boat in and out of the water. 

Definition – “a derrick is a lifting device composed of one mast or pole which is hinged freely at the bottom. It is controlled by (usually 4) lines powered by some such means as man-hauling or motors, so that the pole can move in all 4 directions. a line runs up it and over its top with a hook on the end, like with a crane. It was commonly used in docks.”Derrick (Lifting Device), 28 april 2006 12:06 UTC, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia  Continue reading Derrick Operation at Boat Bluff c. 2004 →

Life on Pine Island c. 1950s

British Columbia, Canada, Childhood Memories, Coast Guard, Communication, Foghorns, Groceries & Mail, Incidents, Keepers, Lighthouses, Photos, Radio, School, Storms, Tsunami, Weather, , , , , , ,

Here is another story from Ms. Juanita (Swanson) DuLong. She was a young girl on most of these stations, but living there, and hearing stories from her parents, she has created   lighthouse memories from the 1950s time. Her older stories are found here and here.

Her husband Roy scanned some nice photos of Pine Island station, but unfortunately they are way too small to show here. When he has time to make larger ones, I will add them.

Roy sent some more scans, but they are limited, but I have posted them because they show details not available before – e.g. the A-frame highline setup.

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Pine Island houses - photo Juanita Swanson

There may be somewhere in the world a place foggier than Pine Island lighthouse, but it’s hard to believe. The horn was often on for days on end, and became only another background noise. A lighthouse tender could arrive in clear weather, and radio that Pine was under a doughnut of fog. Continue reading Life on Pine Island c. 1950s →

Pregnancy Provides Problems

Equipment, Groceries & Mail, History, Keepers, Lighthouses, On The Job, , , , , , ,
Langara lighthouse

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 – March 1948 to July 1950. I started as a radio operator in Prince Rupert and was sent out to Langara to run the radio beacon and send weather reports.  I should mention that we were married before going out (some honeymoon, eh?).” Continue reading Pregnancy Provides Problems →