Estevan Point
Encyclopedia
Estevan Point is a lighthouse
located on the headland of the same name on the Hesquiat Peninsula
on the west coast of Vancouver Island
, Canada
.
During the Second World War, in 1942, the Estevan Point lighthouse was attacked by a Japanese
submarine
, marking the first enemy attack on Canadian soil since the Fenian Raids
of 1866 and 1871. This attack on Estevan Point Lighthouse was followed by Japanese balloon bomb (Fire balloon
) attacks in 1944-45.
Currently the Canadian Coast Guard
uses Estevan Point as a station.
The light is still active though as of 2008 and emits a signal of a double flash every 15 seconds. The focal plane is located at 37.5 metres above sea level.
. originating from Mallorca
, traded with the natives of the region (the Nuu-chah-nulth people) when he explored the area in 1774 and named the headland "Punta San Esteban". Four years later, James Cook
's expedition arrived in the Nootka Sound and made contact with the local population.
The lighthouse was established in 1909 as one in a series of buttress
ed lighthouses designed by engineer William P. Anderson
. The lighthouse was constructed in concrete as a 30.5 metres tall octagonal tower supported by buttresses. Originally, a first order Fresnel lens
made by Chance Brothers
of England had been used but together with the lantern it was dismantled during the 1980s and was then donated to a regional museum in 2004.
On June 20, 1942, the Japanese I-26, under the command of Yokota Minoru, fired 25-30 rounds of 5.5" shells at the Estevan Point lighthouse but failed to hit its target and the lighthouse remained undamaged. Though no casualties were reported, the subsequent decision to turn off the lights of outer stations was disastrous for shipping activity.
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....
located on the headland of the same name on the Hesquiat Peninsula
Hesquiat Peninsula Provincial Park
Hesquiat Peninsula Provincial Park is a provincial park at the western extremity of the Clayoquot Sound region of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The Hesquiat Peninsula forms the division between the Clayoquot Sound region, to the south, and the Nootka Sound region to...
on the west coast of 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...
, 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...
.
During the Second World War, in 1942, the Estevan Point lighthouse was attacked by a Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, marking the first enemy attack on Canadian soil since the Fenian Raids
Fenian raids
Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian raids of the Fenian Brotherhood who were based in the United States; on British army forts, customs posts and other targets in Canada, were fought to bring pressure on Britain to withdraw from Ireland. They divided many Catholic Irish-Canadians, many of whom were...
of 1866 and 1871. This attack on Estevan Point Lighthouse was followed by Japanese balloon bomb (Fire balloon
Fire balloon
A , or Fu-Go, was a weapon launched by Japan during World War II. A hydrogen balloon with a load varying from a incendiary to one antipersonnel bomb and four incendiary devices attached, they were designed as a cheap weapon intended to make use of the jet stream over the Pacific Ocean and wreak...
) attacks in 1944-45.
Currently the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
uses Estevan Point as a station.
The light is still active though as of 2008 and emits a signal of a double flash every 15 seconds. The focal plane is located at 37.5 metres above sea level.
History
The Spanish explorer Juan José Pérez HernándezJuan José Pérez Hernández
Juan José Pérez Hernández , often simply Juan Pérez, was an 18th century Spanish explorer. He was the first European to sight, examine, name, and record the islands near present-day British Columbia, Canada...
. originating from Mallorca
Mallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
, traded with the natives of the region (the Nuu-chah-nulth people) when he explored the area in 1774 and named the headland "Punta San Esteban". Four years later, James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
's expedition arrived in the Nootka Sound and made contact with the local population.
The lighthouse was established in 1909 as one in a series of buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
ed lighthouses designed by engineer William P. Anderson
William P. Anderson
Colonel William Patrick Anderson was a Canadian civil engineer. He was Superintendent of Lighthouses for almost 40 years, and was responsible for many of the more notable lighthouses in Canada.-Early life and career:...
. The lighthouse was constructed in concrete as a 30.5 metres tall octagonal tower supported by buttresses. Originally, a first order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
made by Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers
Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands , in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology....
of England had been used but together with the lantern it was dismantled during the 1980s and was then donated to a regional museum in 2004.
Estevan Point lighthouse attack
During the Second World War, in 1942, the Estevan Point lighthouse was attacked by the Japanese submarine "I-26"Japanese submarine I-26
I-26 was a Japanese B1 type submarine which saw service in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was completed and commissioned at the Kure Dockyard on 6 November 1941, under the command of Commander Yokota Minoru....
On June 20, 1942, the Japanese I-26, under the command of Yokota Minoru, fired 25-30 rounds of 5.5" shells at the Estevan Point lighthouse but failed to hit its target and the lighthouse remained undamaged. Though no casualties were reported, the subsequent decision to turn off the lights of outer stations was disastrous for shipping activity.