Cape Beale Lightstation
Encyclopedia
Cape Beale Lightstation is a manned lighthouse
on Vancouver Island
in British Columbia
., Canada
.
. The present tower was built in 1958 and marks the entrance to Barkley Sound
. It is 10 metres tall. Cape Beale received its name from Charles William Barkley
, captain of the Imperial Eagle
, who named it for his ship's purser, John Beale. The lighthouse is best known for its proximity to the West Coast Trail
which is the theoretical route survivors of shipwrecks would take to get to the nearby community of Bamfield
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
., Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The lighthouse was built in 1874 and its focal plane is 51 meters above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The present tower was built in 1958 and marks the entrance to Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound
Barkley Sound, also known historically as Barclay Sound, is south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island and forms the entrance to the Alberni Inlet...
. It is 10 metres tall. Cape Beale received its name from Charles William Barkley
Charles William Barkley
Charles William Barkley was a ship captain and maritime fur trader. He was born in Hertford, England, son of Charles Barkley....
, captain of the Imperial Eagle
Imperial Eagle (ship)
The Imperial Eagle was a 400 ton burthen British merchant ship that sailed on maritime fur trading ventures in the late 1780s. It was under the command of Captain Charles William Barkley until confiscated in India. The ship, Loudoun, was a decommissioned East Indiaman...
, who named it for his ship's purser, John Beale. The lighthouse is best known for its proximity to the West Coast Trail
West Coast Trail
The West Coast Trail is a long backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1907 to facilitate the rescue of survivors of shipwrecks along the coast, part of the treacherous Graveyard of the Pacific...
which is the theoretical route survivors of shipwrecks would take to get to the nearby community of Bamfield
Bamfield, British Columbia
Bamfield is a community that is surrounded by Crown Land, Indian Reserves, and portions of the Pacific Rim National Park, located on Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The community, with a population of 251 as of 2006, is divided by Bamfield Inlet.- History :Bamfield is populated...
.