BOB here, bobbing with Andrew about the Fisgard Lighthouse at the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour, just outside Victoria, British Columbia.
This BOBortunity was Andrew’s submission, which won him week 38 of the Get Your BOB On Contest.
It also brought a taste of West Coast history to our door.
This handsome beacon has been watching over the water since November 16, 1860.
On that date, its light first shone out to guide ships safely into the harbour.
It was the first permanent lighthouse on Canada’s Pacific coast. Therefore, you could certainly declare the Fisgard Lighthouse a real west-coast original!
The lighthouse was built to help merchant, passenger, and naval vessels navigate the harbour entrance.
This was especially important when darkness, fog, or stormy weather made the passage tricky.
Fisgard Island takes its name from HMS Fisgard, a British warship that served in the Pacific from 1844 to 1847.
Esquimalt was an important Royal Navy anchorage, and Fisgard’s light helped ships find their way in and out after dark.
That’s a pretty big responsibility for one lighthouse!
The lighthouse itself pairs a 17-metre tower with a two-storey keeper’s home.
Its lantern and Fresnel lens came from England, along with the first keeper, George Davies, who arrived in 1860.
I imagine he had quite the view, though I’d have needed a very sturdy bath to handle those Pacific breezes!
For generations, lighthouse keepers tended the light.
Twelve people, including one woman, served at Fisgard between 1860 and 1928, when the light was automated.
A fire damaged the interior in 1957, but much of the original exterior survived.
The lighthouse became a National Historic Site in 1958, preserving its story for curious visitors, and curious ducks like me.
Today, Fisgard Lighthouse still stands on its rocky point.
It is a reminder of the mariners who depended on its guiding light and the keepers who cared for it.
I’m BOB, signing off with one important nautical tip: admire the view, respect the currents, and always keep your feathers afloat!
Thank you, Andrew, for sharing this bright bit of west-coast history with me!
NEVER MISS A
