B.C. Lighthouse De-staffing Considered (Again)

The Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA) sent an alert that on extremely short notice, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans would be in B.C., holding hearings on a proposal to de-staff coastal lighthouses. This proposal was considered in 2009, but postponed after loud protests. Now it’s back again. Although I cannot attend the hearings, I wrote the following comment, which I sent to christianne@georgiastrait.org to forward to the appropriate people. Our thanks to Tom Liebert, M/V Friendship II, for the heads-up.

Dear Christianne,

I will not be able to attend a meeting about lighthouse de-staffing, but in the interests of safety I strongly oppose it. If you find the following notes appropriate, please forward them to the decision-makers.

Dear Sirs:

I am the editor and publisher of the annual Waggoner Cruising Guide, the principal guidebook for pleasure boating in B.C. coastal waters. To research each year’s edition, we spend 8-10 weeks each summer cruising these waters in our 37-foot powerboat. Before setting out each day, we listen to the reports on the VHF weather channel, with special attention to the lighthouse reports. There’s an important difference between reporting the wind and wave-heights at a particular location, and reporting the overall sea state, weather and visibility from that location. Chatham Point, for example, might report 15 knots at the lighthouse, but an estimated 25-30 knots, gusting, offshore. There are simply some things a real, live, experienced human can do that technology cannot. Reporting the sea state and other factors are among those things.

Before de-staffing more B.C. lighthouses, I urge the decision makers to charter a boat – say, a 40-footer – and cross the Strait of Georgia on two or three separate days. Don’t look at studies or spreadsheets or cost/benefit analyses. Get behind the controls and be responsible for the safety and welfare of the vessel and fellow decision-makers on board. Listen to the weather channel and decide whether to cross or to wait. You’ll find the lighthouse reports from Chrome Island, Merry Island and Entrance Island to be of great help. And if you decide to cross when you shouldn’t, you’ll find out exactly why you shouldn’t have set out.

To confirm the Strait of Georgia research, round Cape Caution twice. Be in charge of the vessel and responsible for your fellow decision makers on board. You’ll find that you’re putting your safety in the hands, eyes and experience of the people manning the Pine Island, Egg Island and Addenbroke Island lighthouses. Please. Don’t take my word for these sentiments. Your decision will affect the lives and welfare of thousands of mariners. The decision should not be made from the comfort of a conference room. It should be made from personal experience aboard a small boat on a big ocean.

Sincerely,
Robert Hale
Editor/Publisher
Waggoner Cruising Guide

Here is the relevant part of the GSA notice, with dates and locations for the hearings:

Last minute hearings raise concerns about de-staffing of BC light stations

In September 2009, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced a plan to de-staff lighthouses in coastal BC, including several here in Georgia Strait. Thanks to a public outcry, including a submission by Georgia Strait Alliance, this plan was put on hold and the Senate Committee for Fisheries and Oceans was given a mandate to examine the issue.

Now we have just learned that next week, the Senate Committee will be in this region to get input on this issue. Having given our communities little notice of these meetings, and limiting access to them, it is imperative that we voice our deep concerns about this issue and the process.

Please contact Ceri Au at 613-944-9145 or auc@sen.parl.gc.ca to make a request to appear before the Committee. You can tell them that you want lighthouses in BC to remain staffed because of the essential services they provide to our coastal communities. For mariners, aviators and all those who travel our waters, lighthouse staff provide consistent weather information and access to assistance that no machine can provide. Whether you are able to book an appointment to appear or not, please attend a meeting in your area and add your voice. We must make it clear that we support staffed lighthouses and that we object to efforts to limit citizen engagement. Please let us know if you are attending or are making a submission.

Committee meetings will be held (specific locations and times have not been provided):
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 - Victoria
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - Nanaimo
Thursday, November 18, 2010 - Campbell River
Friday, November 19, 2010 - Prince Rupert
Saturday, November 20, 2010 - Prince Rupert / Vancouver