Trial Islands Lighthouse

Heritage-designated lighthouse near Victoria, BC

Lighthouse

48°23′42.4″N 123°18′18.7″W / 48.395111°N 123.305194°W / 48.395111; -123.305194TowerConstructedOctober 1906 (first)^[1]
1970 (current)^[2]Constructionreinforced concrete tower^[2]AutomatedStaffed by two full-time lightkeepersHeight13 metres (43 ft)^[2]Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern^[3]^[4]Markingswhite tower, red balcony and lanternOperatorCanadian Coast Guard^[5]Heritageheritage lighthouse

LightFirst lit1970 (current)Focal height28.3 metres (93 ft)^[3]Lens4th order Fresnel lens (1906–1970)
flash (1970–present)Range13 kilometres (7.0 nmi)^[3]CharacteristicFl G 5s.^[3]

The major Trial Island is home to the Trial Islands Lighthouse which is operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, and continues to be staffed by two full-time lightkeepers.^[6] The current lighthouse was erected in 1970 to replace the original lighthouse that was constructed in 1906. The fourth order Fresnel lens from 1906 was used until it was replaced in 1970. That original lens was on display courtesy of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia in Bastion Square in Downtown Victoria, but was later moved into storage with the Coast Guard.^[7]^[8]

Staffing

In September 2009 it was announced that the Trial Island Lighthouse would be automated to cut staffing costs.^[8]^[9] However, in 2012, the Minister for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Keith Ashfield, said in response to the Senate study Seeing the Light: Report on Staffed Lighthouses in Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia that lighthouses currently staffed would remain so, and that the government had no plans to further study lighthouse staffing.^[10]

Heritage designation

The Oak Bay Heritage Foundation proposed Trial Island Lighthouse for protection through the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. Community support including stories and comments are gathered through the Friends of Trial Island Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/trialislandlighthouse Trial Island Lighthouse is Victoria's landmark lighthouse. In 2015, thanks to the work of the Oak Bay Heritage Foundation and strong public support, it was announced that Trial Island Lighthouse had been granted heritage status. Parks Canada cites as character-defining elements of the Trial Islands Lighthouse its prominent location in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, its structural form, and its balanced proportions.^[2]

References

^ Coldwell, John A. "British Columbia Lighthouse Keeper Database". Archived from the original on 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Parks Canada. "Trial Islands Lighthouse: Heritage Lighthouse, Oak Bay, British Columbia". Retrieved 11 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals". Fisheries and Oceans Canada. April 2007. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
^ "Trial Island Light - ARLHS CAN-506". 12 May 2008. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southern British Columbia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
^ Mitchell, M.K. "Trial Island Lightstation". Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
^ Hook, Ryan (8 November 2022). "Still light: Portraits of a Trial Islands lighthouse keeper: Amidst threats of obsolescence, the Trial Islands lighthouse is still home to keepers continuing this work, and caring for the Island". Capital Daily.
^ ^a ^b Rowlett, Russ (27 April 2009). "Lighthouses of Canada: Southern British Columbia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
^ Clark, Sue (6 September 2009). "Canadian Lighthouse Keepers Being Removed: Four or Five To Be De-Staffed Immediately". Retrieved 2010-08-06.
^ North, Natalie (5 April 2012). "Feds agree not to de-staff lighthouses: Fate of those already de-staffed remains unknown". vicnews.com.