A number of west coast residents are calling on the federal government and the Canadian Coast Guard to reverse their recent decision to end staffing at two lighthouses along Vancouver Island's coast.
The Canadian Coast Guard announced earlier this summer that it would be ending staffing at two lighthouses along the West Coast Trail — one at Pachena Point and one at Carmanah Point.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says this decision was made due to safety concerns. A geotechnical investigation and hazard assessment found that the lighthouse stations are sitting within an area of "increased vulnerability" due to soil conditions and the instability of the land increases the risk of a slope failure in the event of an earthquake.
"The safety of our personnel is always our top priority," said a spokesperson for the DFO.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations elected Chief Councillor John Jack, who is also the board chair of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), told the ACRD board on Wednesday, Aug. 28 that this news is “not surprising, but also troubling.” He said that Huu-ay-aht would like to see "proper consultation" and a review before the lighthouses are actually de-staffed.
“There’s quite a swell of people who are opposed to the de-staffing of the lighthouses there," said Jack. “Some of our citizens have literally been saved by the lighthouse keepers noticing that they were capsized when they hit a deadhead." (A deadhead is a log that has been swept to sea).
The ACRD board agreed on Wednesday to send a letter to the DFO and the Canadian Coast Guard, asking them to "immediately halt" any plans to shut down lighthouse stations and maintain current levels of staffing.
The board also agreed to make this an emergency resolution for the upcoming Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention (Sept. 16-20).
Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns is echoing the importance of lighthouses to coastal communities and has started a petition to the House of Commons, asking the federal government to pause efforts to de-staff both lighthouses and to consult with relevant stakeholders and First Nations about the impacts of the de-staffing.
"Pausing for a year or six months isn't going to put lives more at risk," said Johns. "But they need to consult with the nations, they need to consult with the local communities and mariners and they need to look at the options. They're not presenting any sort of plan for what they're going to do after they de-staff the lighthouses at Pachena and Carmanah."
The DFO has stated that mariners and other users can continue to use Aids to Navigation services provided by automated lights at Pachena Point and Carmanah Point. But Johns says that automation is not an appropriate replacement for a human presence.
"There is no way that automation can hear the cries for help when people are in distress," he said. "It's too dangerous and it's too big of a coast."
Johns' petition can be found online at www.ourcommons.ca.
