Victoria in Capital, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast

The Lightkeeper's Boat / L'embarcation du gardien de phare

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 22, 2014

1. The Lightkeeper's Boat / L'embarcation du gardien de phare Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

A rowboat was the only link between lighthouse and land, and sometimes the only thing standing between life and death.

Seule une chaloupe reliait le phare à la terre ferme, et c'était parfois l'unique moyen de rester en vie.
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The causeway you just crossed was built in 1951, long after the last lightkeeper left. Before that, every pail of milk, every sack of flour and every box of butter had to be fetched by boat.

The nearest village was Esquimalt, which meant rowing across the harbour. At night, or in stormy weather, this was a dangerous business. On July 3, 1898, someone noticed an empty rowboat floating in the harbour. Searchers later found the dead body of lightkeeper Joseph Dare in the frigid water. Only one oar was in the boat.

A lost oar meant a lost life.
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Le pont-jetée que vous venez de traverser a été construit en 1951, longtemps après le départ du dernier gardien du phare. Auparavant, il fallait aller chercher en chaloupe chaque cruche de lait, sac de farine et boite à beurre.

Comme

The Lightkeeper's Boat / L'embarcation du gardien de phare and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 22, 2014

2. The Lightkeeper's Boat / L'embarcation du gardien de phare and Marker

Marker on boat's stern

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this page online

Esquimalt était le village le plus pres, il fallait traverser le port à la rame. Le soir ou par mauvais temps, ce n'était pas sans danger. Le 3 juillet 1898, quelqu'un a remarqué une chaloupe vide dans le port. Plus tard, on a retrouvé le corps du gardien de phare Joseph Dare dans les eaux glaciales. Il ne restait qu'une rame dans l'embarcation.

Le perte d'une rame équivalait à la perte d'une vie.

Erected by Parks Canada.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is July 3, 1898.

Location. 48° 25.832′ N, 123° 26.871′ W. Marker is in Victoria, British Columbia, in Capital. Marker is on the grounds of Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 603 Fort Rodd Hill Road, Victoria BC V9C 2W8, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fisgard Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker); Get Your Bearings / S'Orienter (about 120 meters away, measured in a direct line); Fisgard Lighthouse / Phare de Fisgard (about 180 meters away); Wisdom on the Water / Prudence en Mer (about 180 meters away); Harbour Mouth Defences / Défense de l'entrée du port (about 210 meters away); Team Work / Travail d'equipe

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(approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Searchlight Emplacement / Emplacement de projecteur (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Naval Defence: Yesterday and Today (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Victoria.

Also see . . . Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites of Canada. (Submitted on October 23, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 23, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 327 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 24, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.