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This website is dedicated to the lighthouse keepers of British Columbia, Canada, and for the general public who want to learn what life was/is like on a lighthouse. This site also supports the fight against the automation and destruction of ALL lighthouses and the environment surrounding them.

Also available here is a large database (db) of names of British Columbia (BC) Lighthouse Keepers – past and present.

Click for more information . . .

Plus, I will toss in anything lighthouse that seems interesting – such as museums, paintings, websites, catalogues, art, toys, drawings, videos, books, manuals, music, poetry, etc.

I would also like to include environmental issues that affect the lands and oceans on the BC coast such as pollution, garbage, possible oil spills, shipwrecks, etc. as these are all part of the role of the lighthouse keeper who sees and knows everything on the coast.

Everybody that likes lighthouses likes lighthouse information and memorabilia!

For earlier notes or suggestions, please see QUICK INFO in the header bar above.

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On a single day in September, volunteers around the globe collected over 10 million lbs. of trash from beaches and waterways. What did they find?

This information was from the Ocean Champions Facebook page.

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February 28, 2013 – ASSISTANT LIGHTKEEPER JOBS - COMPETITION NOW OPEN (link)

Assistant Lightkeeper

Organization Name: Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Canadian Coast Guard
Locations: Various Locations
Classification: LI – 03, LI – 04, LI – 05 or LI – 06
Salary: $35,825 to $48,071
Closing Date: March 18, 2013 – 23:59, Pacific Time Useful Information
Reference Number: DFO13J-012543-000004
Selection Process Number: 13-DFO-EA-WEST-CCG-75582
Vacancies: Number to be determined

Please see my job search webpage for updated information.

Mystery Lighthouse!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by retlkpr

Do you see the lighthouse? Is that not an impressive view!

The photo above was in a website for a Canadian west coast (Vancouver Island, British Columbia) resort. This is the actual view from one of the rooms. I could just imagine being there myself and seeing the waves beat up against the lighthouse island as I relaxed in comfort within the resort.

I even knew what lighthouse it was, or I thought I did! Continue reading →

Retirement Day on Bonilla Island 2013!

Posted on May 11, 2013 by retlkpr

Bonilla Island Lighthouse – Chris Mills

Most people arrive on a lighthouse and take loads of photos because it is all new. When one retires, they are so involved in packing and getting away on time and getting settled that they forget to take photos.

Luckily for us the retirement day for Harvey and Lenora Bergen from Bonilla Island lighthouse was very well documented in photos by the other keeper on the island, Jack Harrison. Thanks Jack for supplying the photos to us, and for showing so much of Bonilla Island.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Mise Tales Twenty-Two

Posted on May 9, 2013 by retlkpr

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

Lighthouse B&Bs let guests play keeper for a night Chris Wadsworth, special for USA TODAYJanuary 27, 2013

(Photo: GoEscape)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Most lighthouses are automated, and most ships are guided by satellites, radar and computers today

Many old lighthouses are finding new life as charming bed-and-breakfasts and rental homes
Lighthouse stays are available in more than a dozen states
Lighthouse stays are available in more than a dozen states . . . more

And Pinterest Does it Again! More lighthouse pictures!

Pinterest page

Are You Interested in Supporting Two Film Producers to Make a Film Called “Lighthouse”

A dramatic tale of fatherhood, relationships and dedication based on the story of The Prodigal Son in Luke 15. . . more

How To Make A Beautiful Clay Pot Lighthouse

What a wonderful neat idea to make a lighthouse from clay pots. Staked and on top of it a light ( or perhaps even a solar garden light) this definitely makes for an eye-catching garden decoration.

It’s really easy to do and painting the lighthouse in the color of your choice will make it “fit” perfectly into your garden or backyard. Check out this easy to-follow tutorial via the link below (make sure you scroll down on the page – the drawing and explanation are here: Terra Cotta Lighthouse

Church Mission Boats on the British Columbia Coast

Posted on May 7, 2013 by retlkpr

I have mentioned a few of these boats before on this site – the Thomas Crosby V (here and here), the Columbia III, and the William H. Pierce. This article should finish the series once and for all. I never knew there were so many church mission boats on the British Columbia (BC) coast.

In the early 1900s lighthouses were very isolated. Maybe a Coast Guard ship about every six (6) months, but to the keepers, and many other isolated residents of the BC coast the mission boats were their only contact with civilization. Here is a list of others I have found, which also includes a short mention of the ones mentioned above (listed in alphabetical order).

John Antle (Columbia Coast Mission) (1904)

The pioneer mission hospital of St. Mary’s, Pender Harbour, where Anglican ships had brought their patients, still standing but reincarnated these days as the Sundowner Inn, was 75 in 2004. It was built by the Columbia Coast Mission, which started life 100 years ago when Rev. John Antle and his nine-year-old son, Victor, left Vancouver in their open, five-metre boat on an 800-kilometre journey to Alert Bay and back. Continue reading →

Picture BC – a New Website

Posted on May 5, 2013 by retlkpr

My website here is about British Columbia (BC) lighthouses and the environment surrounding them.

Just recently a good friend sent me an email to a website called Picture BC, a delightful photo and video tour of the province of British Columbia, Canada – as beautiful now as when it was created in 2008.

Picture BC photo

According to the site:

Picture BC is an initiative of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), an organization representing the communities participating in this website. The idea and support for Picture BC came from the Province of British Columbia.

The site contains a five (5) minute video tour of the whole of BC (above) which is very well done. If you have never been to BC, you will want to come and visit after seeing this video. If you plan on coming, this is where the lighthouses are. The video shows two or three lighthouses near the end of the clip but there are many more on the BC coast.

There are interactive maps of the regions of BC with links to most cities in the province.

There are also some beautiful photos of major tourist destinations in BC, as well as scenes which cannot be seen unless you take a helicopter or plane ride.

The website is done with Adobe Flash player so it is a bit tricky to manouever around, but have patience – it is worth it!

Enjoy!

Reprint – A Grain of Beach Sand – Photography Book by Gary Greenberg

Posted on May 3, 2013 by retlkpr

Reprinted with permission from Maya at the Completely Coastal website. Her article was published September 7, 2012 and can be found here.

A Grain of Beach Sand – Photography Book by Gary Greenberg
“To see a world in a grain of sand…” These are the words of William Blake. Artist and scientist Gary Greenberg takes them literally!

Beach sand

Dr. Gary Greenberg turned his microscope on beach sand! Photo via Art.com. Continue reading →

In Memorium – Reg Gunn (1929 – 2013)

Posted on April 27, 2013 by retlkpr

Reg Gunn

Captain Reginald (Reg) Gunn. It is with great heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of our loved one on April 27, 2013. Reg was born on June 22, 1929 in the County of Durham, England. He came to Canada in 1951, where he joined the Canadian Coast Guard. In 1961, he earned his Master of Home-Trade Steamship, and served at sea on the west coast of Canada. In 1974, he accepted the position of Regional Superintendent of Marine Search and Rescue, Canadian Coast Guard, at the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria, B.C. He was responsible for developing the successful ocean drift program known as CANSARP, which resulted in many lives at sea being saved. Reg retired from the Coast Guard in 1991 after 40 years of service. After retiring, he volunteered at the University of Victoria, in the ESL Study Centre for 13 years. Over the years, he befriended and mentored many students and kept in touch with them. He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Margaret, daughters Susan Nash (Mark), Mary (Brian) and son Gordon (Jerri-lyn), and grandsons Hayden Gunn and Gabriel Nash, his brother Norman, in Wales, along with family and many friends. In keeping with Reg’s wishes, no service will be held. His life will be quietly celebrated by his family. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the S.P.C.A. Biscuit Fund. Always Remembered, Always Loved. Bravo Zulu! – Published in The Times Colonist on May 4, 2013

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

Reg was never a lighthouse keeper but he was a friend to the lighthouse keeper’s. Please read his story about his life with the lighthouse keepers.

Amazing Miniature Sculptures by Takanori Aiba

Posted on March 28, 2013 by retlkpr

I am going to keep this short, but I had to find time to post this. Only a week until I move so not much time for anything right now. Please see the large photo below of a lighthouse sculpture by Japanese artist Takanori Aiba. It is fantastic! The comments (indented below) are from the Twisted Sifter website where I first saw this sculpture.

As a follow-up from yesterday’s Picture of the Day, the Sifter was compelled to do a full feature on Takanori Aiba’s incredible miniature sculptures. The level of detail and intricacy in his work is truly mind-blowing. Each sculpture is like a miniature world, bursting with life and stories.

There are thirty (30) more photos of many more miniature sculptures on Takanori Aiba’s Flickr page which will impress you, and more photos are on the Twisted Sifter website as well. Beautiful! Continue reading →

In Memorium – Fred Wood (1915 – 2013)

Posted on February 6, 2013 by retlkpr

Fred Wood

Frederick Henry Wood, June 19, 1915 – February 6, 2013 Fred Wood, long time resident of the Shawnigan Lake area, passed peacefully away at Cowichan District Hospital on February 6. He was 97 years of age and had only been ill a short time. Mr. Wood was born in Ottawa, son of the late Thomas Wood and Annie Winges. He came to Victoria in 1938, and married his “ever lovin” Alice (nee Cole) in 1940. Fred and Alice settled in Shawnigan Lake to raise their sons, where Fred enjoyed active involvement in the community and self employment in the logging industry for many years. In 1970 Fred joined the Canadian Coast Guard as a lighthouse keeper, where he and Alice spent a very special decade living on various light stations on the pacific coast. Fred and Alice retired to Victoria, then finally to Cobble Hill in 2001 to live out their golden years. Throughout his life, Fred was an avid gardener, his favourite crop being his tomato plants, which he grew to perfection. Fred was predeceased by his youngest son Tom in 2007. He is survived by Alice, his beloved wife of 72 years, his son Richard (Reta), daughter-in-law Susan and grandsons Dan, Chris and Steve. No service by request. A small Remembrance will be held at a later date. “Anything happen come.”- Published in Victoria Times-Colonist on March 29, 2013

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

F H Wood obit

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Lighthouse Memories

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