Groups struggle to save lighthouses

Growing up in B.C. lighthouses, Alanny Brutton learned to help her mom and dad with their lightkeeper duties.

In 1970, two years after the family moved to Sheringham Point lighthouse, west of Sooke, a call came in from Victoria Air Marine Radio (a weather watch run by the Coast Guard at the time) while Brutton's parents were visiting neighbours. There was a report of a boat fire on the water and the operator asked the 14-year-old girl to take a look. She picked up binoculars.

"I couldn't see a boat, but could see a fire on land,"she recalled this week, pointing across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Peninsula as she stood uphill from the lighthouse. "I gave him the best co-ordinates I could."

It was a house fire, she learned the next day when the dispatch centre called back.

"They told my dad " Wow, she pinned that almost to the foot.'"Her directions helped firefighters locate the burning house.

Today Brutton is part of a volunteer group working to preserve the light tower as a heritage site, through a federal Heritage Light Preservation Act passed in May. They've collected $250,000 so far to purchase the land, if necessary, and are in discussions with the Capital Regional District and T-Souke First Nation on a potential three-way partnership to protect Sheringham Point lighthouse and operate it as an education centre.

"We want to preserve and protect this, to make it accessible to people who want to come and use it, to not have it fenced in."

But because of confusion around the Act it could be many more years before the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society can put its plans into action.

Introduced by retired senator Pat Carney, the HLP Act has a mandate to identify and designate federally owned lighthouses that qualify for heritage status and to ensure they be maintained, preferably by community groups.

Carney is livid, however, that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada issued a list earlier this year of lighthouses it says are surplus. The department's website states the stations "could be replaced with simpler structures whose operation and maintenance would be more cost-effective."

In order to be considered for heritage status, Carney points out, a lighthouse must belong to the feds at the time of application.

"Once a surplus light has been divested, it'[s no longer a federal light and doesn't qualify for a heritage protection,"she said, speaking from her home on Saturna Island. "DFO has torpedoed the Act by putting (lighthouses) on a real estate list."

The federal agency says it is only doing what the Act requires of it.

"DFO is complying fully with its responsibilties under the legislation,"spokesperson Nathalie Trepanier said in an e-mail. "This included the requirement to publish a list of all lighthouse properties deemed surplus to operational requirements, which was required under Section 8(1) of the Act."

There is a process for community groups like the Sheringham society and individuals to petition Parks Canada – the federal body looks after heritage lighthouses, such as Fisgard – to have lighthouses considered for heritage designation through the Act.

Carney fears people will be frightened off by the complicated process. That's what happened to Victoria resident Jeff McKay. A month ago McKay, who works in the marine industry, called up Fisheries and Oceans Canada about three properties on its lighthouse surplus list: Discovery Island off Oak Bay, the Ogden Point Breakwater and Race Rocks.

He found out that the breakwater shouldn't have been on the list “ it's actually owned by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. And although the other two properties are available, McKay was warned it could take years to acquire them because any sale must be vetted by local First Nations.

"Basically, it was so complicated I just walked away from pursuing it,"he said.

Brutton says community groups should step forward to pursue heritage designation for significant lighthouses.

"They should sit down as soon as possible with government and make their intent known. Don't just go to the regional district. Go to your MP, your mayor, to all levels at the same time and get them on board with you."

From a road above it, she looks toward Sheringham Point lighthouse surrounded by chain link fence.

"It depends on the government now, when it (the lighthouse) will be released and to who and how."

vmoreau@oakbaynews.com