Staffing at 2 B.C. lighthouses to end following safety concerns

Safety concerns have prompted the Canadian Coast Guard to make what it says is the "difficult decision" to end staffing at two lighthouses along British Columbia's coast.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says "aids to navigation" will continue operating at both the Carmanah Point and Pachena Point light stations located along the southwest coast of Vancouver Island that's also home to the famed West Coast Trail.

The lightkeepers will move out of the buildings before winter weather arrives.

The department says a geotechnical investigation and hazard assessment found the land beneath "many" of the buildings at the two stations is not stable enough to meet the coast guard's requirements and some facilities are no longer safe to use.

It says the federal government is looking at long-term possibilities, including the potential costs of stabilizing the sites or moving buildings to safer ground, but those options are expected to be complex and may be cost-prohibitive.

The department says in a statement that the coast guard will continue to operate navigational aids at both sides using solar power and automated technologies.

The lightkeepers will be offered positions at other sites or within the coast guard.

There are 25 other staffed lighthouses along B.C.'s coast.

Union concerns 

According to the regional vice president Pacific with the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, the staffing change came on short notice.

"The members were told [Wednesday] morning 30 minutes before the press release," Barry Tchir told CBC.

"That's just disrespectful."

He said that while it's important to make sure working conditions are safe for lighthouse keepers, he worries there wasn't enough consultation with the union before the decision was made. 

In an email to CBC News, Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief Councillor John Jack said they are "disappointed" with the change.

"Huu-ay-aht has been and continues to be strong fishermen along the West Coast," Jack said. "We have experienced the grief of losing citizens to the ocean, which is why marine safety is critical and essential to us."

Taryn Eyton, author of Backpacking on Vancouver Island, said she expects trail users will also be upset with the loss of lighthouse keepers at those spots. 

"A lot of lighthouse keepers who staffed these stations were living in isolated areas and were sometimes rather interested to talk to hikers and have a conversation," she said. 

"I think people will be disappointed to hear that both lighthouse keepers won't be there anymore."