Carmanah Point Light Station

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Carmanah Point Light Station
Carmanah Point Lighthouse - BC Canada.jpg
Carmanah Point Light Station
LocationCarmanah Point
British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates 48°36′42.1″N124°45′04.7″W / 48.611694°N 124.751306°W / 48.611694; -124.751306
Tower
Constructed1891 (first)
Constructionconcrete tower
Height11 metres (36 ft)
Shapeoctagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markingswhite tower, red lantern house
OperatorCanadian Coast Guard
Heritagerecognized federal heritage building of Canada, heritage lighthouse  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Light
First lit1920 (current)
Focal height55.5 metres (182 ft)
Range37 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]

Contents

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

See also

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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.