Carmanah Point Light Station

Carmanah Point Light Station

Location	Carmanah Point British Columbia Canada
Coordinates	48°36′42.1″N 124°45′04.7″W
Tower
Constructed	1891 (first)
Construction	concrete tower
Height	11 metres (36 ft)
Shape	octagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower, red lantern house
Operator	Canadian Coast Guard
Heritage	recognized federal heritage building of Canada, heritage lighthouse
Light
First lit	1920 (current)
Focal height	55.5 metres (182 ft)
Range	37 kilometres (23 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5 s.

Carmanah Point Light Station is a lighthouse on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island at the entrance from the Pacific Ocean to the Salish Sea Formerly know as Jaun deFuca Strait.^[1]

History

The Carmanah Point Light Station was established in 1891. The first light was built of wood and was attached to the keeper's housing. The present tower was built in 1920 of concrete and remains in operation. The area is said to be named for the upstream Nitinaht village. It is said the name means "thus far upstream".^[2]: 39

In the summer of 2024, Fisheries and Oceans along with the Coast Guard announced that the light station was seismically unstable and would be destaffed before the end of the year.^[3] On October 25, the lightkeepers were removed from the station.^[4] The decision to destaff the station has been met with heavy criticism from various local authorities, including local governments, indigenous leadership, and industry leaders.^[5]

Keepers

• William Phillip Daykin 1891–1912)
• George Woodley 1912
• Robert S. Daykin 1912–1917
• James W. Davies 1917–1924
• Thomas A. McNabb 1924–1930, 1944
• John Alfred Hunting 1930–1931
• Henry Seymour Briggs 1931–1934
• Henry I. McKenzie 1935
• G.M. Clark 1935
• William Charles Copeland 1935–1940
• Walter Calverly, 1940–1941
• F.A. Mountain 1941–1946
• Francis George Copeland 1946–1952
• G.D. Wellard 1952–1958
• Bert Pearce 1964–1969
• Arthur Britton 1970–1976
• Robert W. Noble 1976–1979
• Don DeRousic 1979–1983
• Dieter Losel 1983–1986
• Jerry K. Etzkorn 1986–2016
• Justine J. Etzkorn 2016-

See also

• List of lighthouses in British Columbia
• Gibbs, Jim, Lighthouses of the Pacific, Philadelphia 1986 Schiffer ISBN 0-88740-054-X
• List of lighthouses in Canada

References

1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southern British Columbia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
2. Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
3. Guard, Canadian Coast (2024-07-31). "Canadian Coast Guard to cease light keeper functions at Carmanah Point and Pachena Point light stations due to safety concerns". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
4. Stoltz, Dean (2024-10-26). ""Tough day": Two island lighthouses close after seismic report". CHEK. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
5. "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2024-10-26.

• Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southern British Columbia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

External links

• Aids to Navigation Canadian Coast Guard