British Columbia Lighthouses

The rugged and intricate coastline of British Columbia has about 40 surviving lighthouses. Unlike the situation in eastern and central Canada, a fair fraction of these light stations are still staffed: Ron Ammundsen, the assistant keeper at Bonilla Island Light, lists 27 staffed light stations in the province. Some of these stations represent the only federal presence in remote and roadless areas of the coast.

Only a handful of British Columbia lighthouses are accessible by highway; most of them are built on islands or rocky headlands far from the nearest road. But on the BC coast, most transportation is by water anyway. The extensive route network of BC Ferries interconnects the coast and most of the lighthouses can be seen from one ferry or another. Several lighthouses are landmarks along the Inside Passage, used by popular cruise ships sailing to Alaska from Vancouver or Seattle.

The order of lighthouses in this list follows the Canadian Coast Guard (Notmar) light list: first the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island from north to south, and then from south to north through the Strait of Georgia and the Inside Passage to the Alaskan border. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Notmar numbers are from the Pacific Coast volume of the List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Admiralty numbers are from volume G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 111.

What's Hot:

General Sources
Lighthouses of British Columbia

A comprehensive site maintained by Ron Ammundsen, formerly the assistant keeper at Bonilla Island Light and now the principal keeper at Quatsino Light.

Lighthouses in British Columbia, Canada

Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.

British Columbia Lighthouses

Lorne Hull reports on eight of the most accessible lighthouses.

Lighthouses of British Columbia

Wonderful photos by Mike Mitchell.

Point Atkinson Light, West Vancouver, July 2006
Creative Commons photo by Amy Lemur

Pacific Coast Vancouver Island Lighthouses
[Triangle Island]: 1910. Inactive since 1918. Built at 207 m (680 ft) above sea level, this light proved to be useless in foggy weather. The tower was demolished, but the concrete base, about 20 ft high, remains. Mitchell has a closeup photo. The lantern and 1° Fresnel lens were relocated to Estevan Point Light. Removed from there in the 1980s, they were donated in 2004 to the Sooke Region Museum in Sooke (see below). The island has large seabird populations and is now the Anne Vallee Provincial Ecological Reserve. Located atop an island about 50 km (30 mi) northwest of Cape Scott, Vancouver Island. Accessible only by boat in dangerous seas. Site and tower closed. Owner: BC Parks. Site manager: Scott Islands Provincial Park. ARLHS CAN-507.
* Nootka (2): Date unknown (station established 1911). Active; focal plane 31 m (101 ft); white flash every 12 s. Square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with square central cylinder, lantern, and gallery. Skeletal framework, lantern and gallery painted red; central cylinder painted white. Staffed light station with several 2-story red-roofed buildings, boathouse, and helipad. Mere Hikes has a photo of the station, a closeup view is available (2/3 of the way down the page), and Marinas.com has aerial photos. A nearby monument marks the discovery of Nootka Sound by Capt. James Cook in 1778. Located at the southeastern tip of Nootka Island marking the northern entrance to Nootka Sound. The station is adjacent to the Native American settlement of Yuquot, which is accessible in the summer by tour boat or by water taxi from Gold River at the end of BC 28. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-343; Notmar 105, Admiralty G5219, NGA 14088.
Estevan Point: 1910 (William P. Anderson). Active; focal plane 37.5 m (123 ft); two white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 15 s. 30.5 m (100 ft) octagonal concrete tower with flying buttresses, lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. The 1° Chance Brothers Fresnel lens, removed in the 1980s, was donated to the Sooke Region Museum in 2004 along with its lantern, which was originally installed at Triangle Island (see above). H.J. Selde has a photo, and Michael Shepard has a second photo. The Japanese submarine I-26 shelled the light station on June 20, 1942, but no damage was done. Estevan Point is an active Coast Guard station with half a dozen red-roofed buildings and several communication towers. The lighthouse marks a prominent headland about 30 km (20 mi) south of Nootka Light, surrounded by the Hesquiat Peninsula Provincial Park. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-173; Notmar 0114, Admiralty G5224, NGA 14084.
Lennard Island (2): Date unknown (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (58 ft) round "apple-core" cylindrical steel skeletal tower, flared at top and bottom, with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery red. This is an active Coast Guard station with half a dozen red-roofed buildings. The lighthouse replaced an octagonal wood tower. Sam Wilson has a distant 2008 photo, Lighthouse Digest has a 2002 feature article on life at the station, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located on an island at the entrance to Clayoquot Sound. Accessible only by boat; visible distantly from the Pacific Rim Highway (BC 4) near Tofino. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-273; Notmar 0134, Admiralty G5242, NGA 14004.

Cape Beale (2): 1958 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); continuous red or white light (depending on direction) with a brighter flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with square central cylinder, lantern and gallery, and a slatted white daymark on three sides. The tower, lantern and gallery are painted red. This is a staffed light station with several red-roofed buildings. Clay Dean has a closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view of the station. The station is located within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve at the southern entrance to Barkley Sound. Accessible via hiking trails leading from the area of Bamfield. Site open, and keepers sometimes will accompany visitors in climbing the tower. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-091; Notmar 0176, Admiralty G5256, NGA 13836.
Pachena Point: 1908. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); two white flashes every 7.5 s. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery; original 1° Fresnel lens in use. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Staffed light station with two 2-story keeper's houses and other buildings. Jason Kurylo has a closeup photo, Mitchell has an aerial view, Marinas.com also has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. A historic station, little changed in a almost a century. Located on the West Coast Trail in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve about 15 km (9 mi) south of Bamfield. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-362; Notmar 0178, Admiralty G5280, NGA 13828.
Carmanah Point (2): 1920 (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 55.5 m (182 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) octagonal pyramidal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern painted red. Staffed light station with a 1-story, red-roofed keeper's house and other buildings. Christine Rondeau has a good closeup photo, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. This lighthouse marks the northern entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which leads to Seattle and Vancouver. The original lighthouse was a square wood tower attached to the keeper's house. Located on the West Coast Trail in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of the Gordon River Trailhead near Port Renfrew. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-120; Notmar 0180, Admiralty G5288, NGA List 13820.

Southern Vancouver Island (Victoria Area) Lighthouses
* Sheringham Point: 1912 (William P. Anderson). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); green flash every 15 s. 19.5 m (64 ft) hexagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery are red. Mike Bingley has a closeup photo, a good 2007 photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 2003 to work for preservation of the lighthouse within a proposed 4.5 ha (10 acre) park. In early 2008, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans completed a land swap with a neighboring landowner to make the park possible. The next step will be for DFO to declare the light station surplus property so that it can be transferred to the preservation society. Located on a rocky promontory at the end of Sheringham Point Road off BC 14 in Shirley, about 16 km (10 mi) west of Sooke. Site and tower closed (fenced), but it is possible to walk close to the lighthouse. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-458; Notmar 0186, Admiralty G5292, NGA 13800.
* [Triangle Island (lantern)]: 1910. First-order Fresnel lens and round cast iron lantern, painted red, mounted on a short white tower. A 2007 closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This historic lens was used from 1910 to 1918 at Triangle Island Light. In 1920, it was relocated to the Estevan Point Light, where it remained in service until the 1980s. In 2004 it was donated to the Sooke Region Museum. Located at 2070 Phillips Road in Sooke. Site and museum open daily, tower closed.
Race Rocks (Great Race Rock): 1860. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 10 s. 24.5 m (80 ft) round "Imperial" stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern painted red. Fog horn (three 2 s blasts every 60 s). The original keeper's house was demolished in 1974, but the more modern light station buildings have been in use as an ecological research station since 1997. Pete Hanson has a good closeup photo, Jeff Lorton has a lovely panoramic view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Great Race Rock, a small island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of Victoria. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (special permission is required to land on the island). Owner: Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific. Site manager: Race Rocks Marine Protected Area. ARLHS CAN-426; Notmar 0189, Admiralty G5300, NGA 13760.
Discovery Island (2): Date unknown (station established 1886). Active; focal plane 28 m (93 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. The 2-story wood keeper's house survives. Mitchell has a good photo, Chelsea Stanley has a closeup of a bald eagle perched atop the lantern, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view (look carefully for the shadow of the slender tower). Most of the island is a provincial park, with a primitive campground and hiking trails. Access is mostly by sea kayak, as there is no protected landing for boats. Located at Sea Bird Point on the eastern end of the island about 5 km (3 mi) east of Victoria, marking the junction of the Haro Strait and the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: BC Parks (Discovery Island Provincial Marine Park). ARLHS CAN-160; Notmar 0216, Admiralty G5334, NGA 13684.

Southern Gulf Islands Lighthouses
* [East Point (Saturna Island) (2)]: 1996 (station established 1888). Inactive since about 2005. The lighthouse here was a 14 m (45 ft) square steel skeletal tower, painted red. Recent reports indicate that the tower and the modern 1-story keeper's house have been demolished, leaving only the fog signal building. Clouds obscure the station in a Google satellite view. Saturna Island is accessible by ferry from Mayne Island. The light station is located in East Point Park, an undeveloped reservation. Located, as its name implies, at the eastern end of Saturna Island, the junction of the Haro Strait and the Strait of Georgia. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-448; Notmar 0264, Admiralty G5358, NGA 13596.
Portlock Point (2): Date unknown (station established 1895). Active; focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); quick-flashing white light. 7.5 m (25 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery painted red. Rick Leche has a good photo, Mitchell has a closeup, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. Lighthouse Explorer has a photo of the original lighthouse, which was taller. Located at the eastern end of Prevost Island about 5 miles south of Active Pass as the ferry runs. Accessible only by boat (most of Prevost Island is privately owned); visible from the ferries crossing the Strait of Georgia from Tsawwassen on the mainland to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-411; Notmar 0267, Admiralty G5368, NGA 13504.
Vancouver Area Lighthouses
Sand Heads (1): 1913. Inactive. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) orange rectangular cylindrical tower mounted on 2-story white concrete keeper's house, all mounted on steel piles. The active light (2002; focal plane 13.5 m (44 ft); green flash every 5 s) is on an approx. 4.5 m (15 ft) cylindrical steel tower mounted on steel and concrete pilings next to the original structure. The current light, built in 2002, replaced a simple steel cylinder mounted on a single pile; this light is seen in Mike Mitchell's photo. Google has a satellite view. The station also includes an automatic weather station. Located at the end of the long Steveston Jetty, a breakwater on the north side of the entrance to the Fraser River. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-446; Notmar 0311, Admiralty G5401, NGA 13116.
U.S. Lightship 76 (WAL-504) Relief: 1904. Decommissioned 1960. 39.5 m (129.5 ft) 2-masted steel lightship. No current photo available, but the Lightship Sailors Association has a historic photo. Built by Burlee Drydock Co. of New York, the ship made the long voyage around Cape Horn and served its entire career as the relief lightship for the U.S. Pacific coast. After plans to make it a museum ship at Seattle fell through, the ship was renamed Claire Anne and served as a coastal freighter. Later it also worked as a fishing boat in Alaska. Kent Staudinger has been the manager and part owner of the vessel since 1980. In 2003 Rick Bennett of the USCG Lightship Sailors Association rediscovered the ship, now called the Maudi Morgan, stripped of its original masts and working as a fishing boat based near Vancouver. As of 2005, the ship was reported in poor condition, barely seaworthy. Moored on the North Arm of the Fraser River; exact location not known. Owner/site manager: private.
Northern Strait of Georgia Lighthouses
Merry Island (2): About 1966 (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 18 m (60 ft); white flash every 15 s. 12 m (40 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story fog signal building. Lighthouse painted white with a red maple-leaf emblem on each face; lantern and gallery painted red. Staffed light station with a 2-story red-roofed keeper's house and other buildings. Ammundsen has a closeup photo by Mike Mitchell, a distant view is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Except for the light station, the island is privately owned. Located on the southern end of the island about 5 km (3 mi) south of the town of Halfmoon Bay on the mainland side of the Strait. Accessible only by boat; should be visible distantly from Welcome Beach, off BC 101 south of Halfmoon Bay. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-314; Notmar 0449, Admiralty G5510, NGA 12776.
Sisters Islets (2): 1967 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 21 m (70 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) narrow round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, flared at the top, painted white; lantern painted red. Automated station; the status of the keeper's house is not clear. Marinas.com has excellent aerial photos. Located on a small island in the middle of the Strait about 15 km (10 mi) north of Qualicum Beach. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-462; Notmar 0493, Admiralty G5529, NGA 12852.
Chrome Island (Yellow Island) Range Rear (3): Around 1990 (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); continuous yellow light visible only on the range line; also a general-navigation light, white flash every 5 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery painted red. Staffed light station with 1-story red-roofed keeper's house and other buildings. Scott Fitz has a photo of the station, Marinas.com has fine aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The original light, mounted on the roof of the keeper's house, was replaced in 1922 by a skeletal tower with enclosed gallery and watch room. Located on a small island just off Boyle Point, the southern point of Denman Island about 1.5 km (1 mi) east of Deep Bay; there is an excellent view of the light station from Boyle Point Provincial Park. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-137; Notmar 0496, Admiralty G5532.1, NGA 12832.
Inside Passage Lighthouses
** Cape Mudge (Quadra Island): 1898. Active; focal plane 17.5 m (58 ft); continuous red or white light, depending on direction, with a more intense flash every 5 s. 12 m (40 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery painted red. Fog horn (3 s blast every 30 s). Staffed light station with two 2-story red-roofed keeper's houses and other buildings. A nice 2006 photo is available, Mitchell has a closeup, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the entrance from the broad Strait of Georgia to the Discovery Passage, the first narrow section of the Inside Passage. Located in Cape Mudge Village at the southern end of Quadra Island (accessible by ferry from BC 19 in Campbell River). Site open; tower is sometimes open to guided tours during the summer (inquire locally). Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-100; Notmar 0511, Admiralty G5580, NGA 12560.
[Chatham Point]: 1959. Active; focal plane 6.5 m (21 ft); green flash every 5 s. 4.5 m (15 ft) round cylindrical steel tower, painted white with a green band at the top; no lantern. This is a staffed light and weather station with two 1-story keeper's houses and other buildings. Fog horn (2 s blast every 20 s). Located about 40 km (25 mi) north of Campbell River on the west side of the Inside Passage, where the route takes a sharp turn from the Discovery Passage into the Johnstone Strait. Land access from Chatham Point Road is probably closed to the public, so the light is best seen by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-132; Notmar 0518, Admiralty G5591, NGA 12508.

Pine Island (2): 1967 (station established 1907). Inactive since the early 2000s. Approx. 10.5 m (35 ft) square cylindrical steel tower with latern, gallery, and square pyramidal skeletal bracing. Lighthouse painted white; lantern and gallery painted red. The active light (focal plane 28 m (93 ft); red flash every 10 s) is on a cylindrical steel tower, painted white, without lantern. Staffed light station with one 2-story and two 1-story keeper's house and other buildings. Marinas.com has aerial photos. The 1907 lighthouse was destroyed by a tsunami (or a storm?) in 1967. The 1967 lighthouse, a skeletal tower with square central cylinder, appears in Mitchell's photos, but it has since been demolished. The island is a wildlife preserve for nesting sea birds. Located on a small island in the middle of the entrance to Queen Charlotte Strait from Queen Charlotte Sound. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-382; Notmar 0576, Admiralty G5649, NGA 12252.
Egg Island (2): 1949 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 88 m (290 ft); white flash every 5 s. 26 m (85 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. Staffed light station with two keeper's houses, fog signal building, and other structures. Built much closer to the water, the 1898 lighthouse was destroyed by a tsunami on November 2, 1948. Located on an island about 10 km (6 mi) north of Cape Caution on the eastern shore of Queen Charlotte Sound. (This is the one section of the Inside Passage where ships are exposed to the open Pacific.) Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-740; Notmar 0579, Admiralty G5658, NGA 12216.
Addenbroke Island (2,3): 1998 (station established 1914). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); white flash every 5 s. The original lighthouse was replaced by a steel skeletal tower about 1968. That tower still stands, along with the active light on a round cylindrical steel tower, painted white. Staffed light station with two keeper's houses, fog signal building, and other structures. Located on an island in Fitzhugh Sound, on the east side of Calvert Island about 100 km (60 mi) north of Port Hardy and a similar distance southwest of Bella Coola. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-004; Notmar 0585, Admiralty G5672, NGA 12192.
Dryad Point (2): 1919 (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 11.5 m (38 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, occulting every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) square concrete tower with lantern, painted white; lantern painted red. Staffed light station with two keeper's houses, fog signal building, and other structures. A photo is available, and James Teresco has posted additional photos. This small lighthouse is a familiar landmark on the Inside Passage, because ships must slow down and make a tight turn around the point. Located on the northeast point of Campbell Island about 3 km (2 mi) north of Bella Bella. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-163; Notmar 0611, Admiralty G5700, NGA 12072.
Ivory Island (2): 1983 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 20 m (67 ft); white flash every 5 s. 5 m (17 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower mounted on a 1-story fog signal building; no lantern. Tower painted red. Staffed light station with two keeper's house and other buildings. Ammundsen has a recent but distant view of the station, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the island in the entrance to the Seaforth Channel from Milbanke Sound, about 15 miles northwest of Bella Bella. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-252; Notmar 0617, Admiralty G5713, NGA 12052.
Lawyer Islands (2): Date unknown (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 38.5 m (126 ft); white flash every 5 s. 20 m (65 ft) square steel skeletal tower, painted white. Although the historic lighthouse at this site is gone, the skeletal tower remains a landmark for travelers on the Inside Passage. Located on an island about 25 km (15 mi) south of Prince Rupert. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-272; Notmar 0685, Admiralty G5770, NGA 11748.
Holland Rock (2): About 1947 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2 s, every 12 s. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical steel skeletal tower mounted atop a 1-story fog signal building. Entire lighthouse painted white. The original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1946. Located on an isolated rock in Chatham Sound about 15 km (10 mi) south of Prince Rupert; Google has a dim satellite view. Accessible only by boat, but easily seen from passing ships. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-229; Notmar 0690, Admiralty G5772, NGA 11704.

Hecate Strait Lighthouses
Bonilla Island: 1960. Active; focal plane 36.5 m (120 ft); white or red flash (depending on direction) every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) white round fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery; lantern painted red. Staffed light station with two 1-story keeper's houses and other buildings. Mitchell has a closeup photo. British Columbia's newest light station. Located on an island off the northwestern tip of Banks Island, marking the southern entrance to Hecate Strait and the Prince Rupert area. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-050; Notmar 0734, Admiralty G5748, NGA 11528.
Triple Islands: 1920. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 9 s. 22 m (72 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story concrete keeper's house. Staffed light station with helipad. Ammundsen has an aerial photo by Chris Mills and a photo of the lens; Mitchell also has a good photo. Located on the northwesternmost of three rocky islets in the Brown Passage about 40 km (25 mi) west of Prince Rupert. Accessible only by boat in dangerous seas or by helicopter. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-508; Notmar 0752, Admiralty G5812, NGA 11460.

Queen Charlotte Islands Lighthouses
Langara Point: 1913. Active; focal plane 49 m (160 ft); white flash every 5 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) hexagonal concrete 6-ribbed tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Fresnel lens in use. This is a staffed light station. Google has a satellite view. Langara Fishing Adventures offers tours to the island, including visits to the light station. Located at the northern tip of Langara Island at the extreme northern end of the Queen Charlotte Islands, marking the south side of the Dixon Entrance. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-269; Notmar 0807, Admiralty G5856, NGA 11376.

Kootenay Lake Lighthouse
** Pilot Bay: 1904. Inactive since 1993. Approx. 7.5 m (25 ft) square pyramidal frame tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim. A 2007 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The abandoned lighthouse was transferred to BC Parks in 2002, and the Friends of West Kootenay Parks Society worked to restore the tower. Located at the end of a peninsula jutting into the lake south of Kootenay Bay; accessible from the end of Pilot Bay Road (off BC 3A) by a short hike. Site open; tower and lantern room open when volunteers are present (inquire locally); gallery closed. Owner: BC Parks (Pilot Bay Provincial Park); site manager: Friends of West Kootenay Parks Society. ARLHS CAN-628.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Albert Head (?-?), Strait of Juan de Fuca near Victoria. ARLHS CAN-005.
Barrett Rock (1919-?), Chatham Sound near Prince Rupert. ARLHS CAN-020.
Berens Island (1875-?), Victoria Harbour. ARLHS CAN-032.
Cape St. James (1914-1945), Queen Charlotte Islands. ARLHS CAN-110.
Capilano (1913-?), Vancouver Harbour. ARLHS CAN-115.
Fiddle Reef (1898-?), Victoria Harbour. ARLHS CAN-175.
First Narrows (1890-1969), Burrard Inlet. ARLHS CAN-415.
Gallows Point (1923-?), Nanaimo Harbour. ARLHS CAN-191.
Pointer Island (1899-?), Inside Passage. ARLHS CAN-400.
Porlier Pass Range Front (1902-1996), Strait of Georgia near Nanaimo. ARLHS CAN-1130.

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key