The Government of Canada today announced the designation of two other lighthouses in British Columbia under Canada’s Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act: Active Pass and Estevan Point lighthouses.
Active Pass (built 1969)
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada, Mayne Island, British Columbia
The Active Pass heritage lighthouse is a 13.7 metres (45 feet) cylindrical concrete tower that widens at the top to support a red octagonal metal lantern. Built in 1969, Active Pass heritage lighthouse is the third lighthouse built on the site and reflects the modernization and evolution of marine aids to navigation in the 1950s and 1960s. It is an excellent example of the visual qualities associated with the “apple core” design, which was a popular design on the West Coast at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s and, owing to its strategic location on Georgina Point on Mayne Island, the Active Pass heritage lighthouse is a highly visible navigation landmark for ships and the thousands of ferry passengers who daily ply one of the busiest waterways of Canada’s West Coast.
The designation includes the lightkeeper’s residence, the storage shed, the engine and radio room and the garage. The Active Pass Heritage Lighthouse is administered by Parks Canada and located on Mayne Island within the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada.
Estevan Point (built 1909)
Hesquiat Peninsula Provincial Park, British Columbia
The Estevan Point heritage lighthouse is a 30.5 metres (100 ft) reinforced concrete tower comprised of a central column surrounded by eight immense flying buttresses and surmounted by a gallery topped by a red circular metal lantern. The reinforced concrete and flying buttresses illustrate early 20th century experiments in lighthouse design and materials. The lighthouse is characterized by its tall, tapered profile and a strong vertical emphasis created by the soaring concrete buttresses and the interplay of light and shadow produced by the curving buttress attachments. Painted in the traditional red and white of the Canadian Coast Guard, the Estevan Point heritage lighthouse guides mariners on the preliminary approaches to the Juan de Fuca Strait, which in turn provides access to the ports of Vancouver, Seattle and Victoria.
The designation includes a number of related buildings on the site, including the lightkeepers’ residences.
The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
Adopted in 2008, the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act allows for the identification and protection of federally-owned lighthouses with heritage value. It is the most significant piece of federal legislation to protect historic places of the last decade. It will help to ensure that important heritage lighthouses on Canada’s coastal and inland waters remain protected for future generations.
The Government of Canada has taken action to protect heritage lighthouses by providing the public with the opportunity to nominate lighthouses for heritage designation; between 2010 and 2012, 348 were nominated. Designated lighthouses are well-protected as their owners are required to care for them in accordance with recognized standards for heritage conservation.
The Active Pass and Estevan Point lighthouses were designated on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
