February 02, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Historic & Heritage Sites
Find more information about Victoria - Historic & Heritage Sites
I have lived near the British Columbia coast most of my life, and although I have seen them from near and far, I have never actually looked at a lighthouse lantern up close and personal – until I was in
Victoria earlier this week.
The cool thing about the Trial Island lantern house (as it is called) is that it is on the street - on the corner of Bastion Square and Langley Street to be exact. It kinda resembles a modern industrial street-art installation – picture a giant red robot helmet with a golf ball and weather vane on top.
The plaque on the lantern base states that it was first installed on Trial Island, 4 miles southeast of Victoria, in 1908. It was a beacon there until it was replaced by an acrylic lens in 1970.
The lenses themselves are enormous. I imagined that if I was an ant I wouldn’t want to get too close to this thing when it was working. Zzaaaap. Two flashes every ten seconds would fry me pretty quickly.
The Trial Island Light is on loan to the
Maritime Museum of British Columbia, just a few steps away.
October 26, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Historic & Heritage Sites
Find more information about Victoria - Historic & Heritage Sites
I had just 15 minutes in Victoria to find an inexpensive present for my four-year-old so I ran into Chinatown. I swooped into Quigley's and bought some White Rabbit candy, sparklers and a box of watercolours.