Sheringham Point Light

Sheringham Point Lighthouse is located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, near the community of Shirley. Built in 1912 following the fatal wreck of the SS Valencia six years earlier, it is still used for navigation. The point was named for William L. Sheringham who took part in various naval surveys although not in this area.[2]:242

Sheringham Point Light
Location in British Columbia
LocationSheringham Point
Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada
Coordinates48°22′36.1″N 123°55′15.6″W
Year first constructed1912
Automated1988
Constructionconcrete tower
Tower shapehexagonal tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternwhite tower, red balcony and lantern
Tower height19.5 metres (64 ft)
Focal height22 metres (72 ft)
Original lensThird-order Fresnel lens
Current lensnone, green light
Range9 nautical mile 
CharacteristicFl G 15s.
Admiralty numberG5292
CHS numberCCG 0186
NGA number13800
ARLHS numberCAN-458
Managing agentSheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society[1]
Heritageheritage lighthouse 

The lighthouse and surrounding property is currently owned by the Canadian Coast Guard and fenced off, though the lighthouse can be seen easily from a trail beside the fence. As of 2005, the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society is working to acquire the property from the Coast Guard and turn it into a public park.

Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society

The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society (SPLPS) was established in 2003 by local residents of Shirley, British Columbia, when the Canadian Coast Guard suggested deeming the Sheringham Point Lighthouse and its surrounding lands as 'surplus'. The SPLPS's mission is “to preserve the Sheringham Point Lighthouse structures and property; to ensure, through education, research, community action and consensus building, that the Sheringham Point Lighthouse, surrounding property and historic access routes remain accessible to the community and visitors now and in the future; to document and recognize the historical importance of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse and those who lived and worked there.”[3]

In 2010, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) officially declared the lightstation and surrounding lands surplus.[4]

On May 29, 2015, The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced that 74 heritage lighthouses across Canada had been designated under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.[5]

ON June 8, 2015, the SPLPS received a letter from Minister Aglukkaq, indicating that the Sheringham Point Lighthouse was included on that list. Meanwhile, the Society and the Capital Regional District (CRD) have been working together to acquire the station and lands to create a park accessible to the public.[6]

At an Apr 3, 2017 news conference, the SPLS announced the largest ever private donation to a lighthouse in Canada. The Westaway Charitable Foundation will be assisting the restoration with $550,00 over several years.[7]

Keepers
  • Eustace Travanion Arden (1912 – 1946)
  • Tom Charles Cross (1946)
  • Alfred Dickenson (1946 – 1948)
  • Thomas Westhead (1948 – )
  • Frederick Arthur Mountain (1959 – 1968)
  • James D. Bruton (1968 – 1987)
  • Kurt Cehak (1987 – 1989)[8]

See also

References
  1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of British Columbia". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  2. Akrigg, G.P.V.; Akrigg, Helen B. (1986), British Columbia Place Names (3rd, 1997 ed.), Vancouver: UBC Press, ISBN 0-7748-0636-2
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2013-12-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-05-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. http://sheringhamlighthouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-05-29-Parks-Canada-Heritage-Designation-News-Release.pdf
  6. http://sheringhamlighthouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-06-SPLPS-Heritage-Designation-letter.pdf
  7. http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/418263583.html
  8. Sheringham Point Light Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved April 28, 2016


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