Founded in 2010, the Canadian Lightkeepers Association promotes awareness and understanding of Canada's requirements for staffed lightstations. Specifically, we aim to: [more]

Senator Dennis Patterson

Senators Rompkey and Patterson on future of lighthouses.

Posted Wed, 2011-03-23 16:18
Date Published: 
2011-03-04
Source: 
Senate of Canada press release

Canadians want to protect their iconic lighthouses. These landmarks bring alive our past, aid our boats and aircraft in the present, and could enhance our community life and regional revenues in the future.

But how to preserve them?

About 50 lighthouses still employ on-site lightkeepers, and the Canadian Coast Guard has no present plans to do away with them.

Stop removing staff from lighthouses, Senate urges Coast Guard

Posted Tue, 2010-12-21 22:33
Date Published: 
2010-12-21
Source: 
Calgary Herald

OTTAWA — Ryan Murphy is more than a lighthouse keeper — he's also the guardian of the marine protected area on Race Rocks, B.C., experienced in search-and-rescue operations, and a curator of data about the area's infrastructure, climate and ecosystem.

It's that kind of knowledge and institutional memory that on Tuesday prompted a Senate committee to urge the Canadian Coast Guard to stop eliminating staff from 50 of the country's lighthouses and instead establish staffing guidelines for those stations through case-by-case consultations.

Senators "just want to get the facts" on lighthouse destaffing

Posted Fri, 2010-11-12 16:44
Date Published: 
2010-11-12
Source: 
Victoria Times-Colonist

Senators examining the proposed destaffing of lighthouses insist they want to hear from all sides when they visit Vancouver Island next week.

The members of the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans aim to hand its report and accompanying recommendations to federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea by the end of the year.

In 2009, Shea announced lightkeepers would be eliminated. But a public outcry prompted her to ask the senate committee to investigate and make recommendations.