In late July, Coast Guard Canada announced they would cease staffing lighthouse keepers at two iconic lighthouses along Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail.
The operations to be de-staffed are the Carmanah Point and Pachena Point lighthouses.
The Coast Guard says that an investigation and hazard assessment found that buildings at both the Carmanah Point and Pachena Point light stations are in a vulnerable area with poor soil conditions that mean some they are no longer safe to use.
The plan is to automate the two lighthouses so they can continue to operate on their own.
Following the announcement, a petition to the House of Commons was launched by Gord Johns, MLA for the Courtenay-Alberni electoral district.
His petition says that these two lighthouses are of significant importance to hikers, aviators and mariners.
The lighthouse keepers who occupy these buildings have been instrumental in saving and aiding many stranded and injured individuals, which would not be possible through automation, according to Johns.
He added that in making this decision, the Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans Canada did not consult with local communities, mariners, union representatives or First Nations before making the decision to de-staff the Pachena and Carmanah Point lighthouses.
Johns launched the petition in order to call on his fellow parliamentarians to:
- Pause efforts to de-staff the lighthouses
- Consult with relevant stakeholders and First Nations regarding the impacts of the de-staffing
- Conduct an independent cost and safety assessment of both lighthouses
- Consider alternative actions to preserve the safety of the lighthouse keepers without de-staffing their stations
The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) who represents the lighthouse keepers at these two key lighthouses echo what Johns is asking for in his petition.
Furthermore, the UCTE says that the evidence which prompted the decision to de-staff the facilities is not accurate.
“The reports prepared for the Coast Guard are seriously flawed. This decision will increase the risks to seafarers, Indigenous fishers, tourists and hikers,” said Barry Tchir, UCTE Vice-President for the Pacific Region.
“The Minister must issue a cease and desist order, while the information is validated, stakeholders are consulted and the public is reassured.”
Tchir also voiced concerns with the solar-powered automation that will take over for the employees who were stationed at these lighthouses, as the region is known to be foggy and may not have reliable solar exposure to safely operate the facilities.
As of this publication, the petition is at 771 signatures.
