Calls to keep lighthouse keepers at 2 stations on Vancouver Island
There are calls for the federal government to rescind an order that’s set to pull lighthouse keepers from duty at two stations along Vancouver Island’s famous West Coast Trail.
“We’d like the minister to rescind the order to de-staff and open up some proper consultations to look at the options,” says Barry Tchir, regional vice-president of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees.
The Canadian Coast Guard announced July 31 that the Carmanah Point and Pachena Point light stations won’t be staffed by people come winter, due to safety concerns.
In a statement to CTV News, the special operating agency says an engineering investigation found the stations are vulnerable due to soil conditions and the slope could fail in a large earthquake.
“The report recommends some mitigation options but doesn’t talk about the removing of the keepers,” says Tchir. “Our look at it is that the keepers are at the lowest risk possible.”
The union says the lighthouse keepers want to stay.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations is also advocating for consultation – saying the keepers play an important safety role on land and at sea.
“Out on the water, I would feel safer if it was manned,” says councillor ƛicitatḥ – Edward Johnson. “There was an incident where my father capsized out on the water and if it wasn’t for a lighthouse keeper checking the weather."
The keeper "happened to be out on the lawn at the lighthouse and saw my father’s boat capsized," he added. "All it took was a quick call to the Bamfield Coast Guard and they were there within minutes.”
The Coast Guard says there are 25 other light stations along British Columbia’s coast that will continue with normal staffing operations. At the Carmanah and Pachena stations, there are also plans to use technology for navigational aids such as solar panels and automated lights.
“The monitoring of the stations is done by the light keeper,” says Tchir. “If the light goes out, if something happens to the light the only people that’ll be able to tell you is the light keeper that is there, who won’t be there now, or a mariner or somebody travelling through will go ‘hey the light’s out’ and somebody will have to come out and fix it.”
The Canadian Coast Guard says that when it comes to the safety of hikers, the light keepers have been “good neighbours” for years but that it’s a Parks Canada responsibility.
CCG says data over nine years show the light keepers at Carmanah Point have been involved in three marine-related Search and Rescue cases. In two of them, the keeper was listed as reporting an incident. In the third, they were listed as being available if they were needed.
CCG says there are no records indicating light keepers at Pachena Point have been involved in marine search and rescues over the same time period.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7033216.1726021317!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Kamala Harris goes on offence against Donald Trump in combative debate
Democratic U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris put Republican Donald Trump on the defensive at a combative U.S. presidential debate on Tuesday with a stream of attacks on abortion limits, his fitness for office and his myriad legal woes.
Key quotes from the Trump-Harris 2024 U.S. presidential debate
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and former U.S. president Donald Trump took the stage on Tuesday night for their first and only scheduled presidential debate before the Nov. 5 election.
FACT CHECK: A look at the false and misleading claims made during the Trump-Harris debate
In their first and perhaps only debate, former U.S. president Donald Trump and U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris described the state of the country in starkly different terms. As the two traded jabs, some old false and misleading claims emerged along with some new ones.
Trump campaign falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets
Former U.S. president Donald Trump’s campaign and his allies are amplifying false rumours that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating pets, another instance of the inflammatory and anti-immigrant rhetoric Trump has promoted throughout his campaigns.
U.S. presidential historian predicts results of November elections. Here's who he says will win
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
Some restaurants have increased their default tip options. Canadians think you should give this much
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
Dave Grohl says he fathered a child outside of his marriage
The Foo Fighters frontman announced that he recently became a father again, writing in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday that his new baby girl was born 'outside' of his marriage to his wife Jordyn Blum.
$2M home belonging to children's musician Raffi on the market
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
Sinaloa shootouts sparks fear of intra-cartel war in Mexico
Shootouts in the western Mexican state of Sinaloa have kindled fears that an intra-cartel war is about to break out in the wake of the arrest of legendary trafficker, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, in July.