Fisgard lighthouse was the first on Canada’s west coast and it’s still in operation today, marking a passage through the Stait of Juan de Fuca. Built by the British in 1860, when Vancouver Island was not yet part of Canada, Fisgard’s red brick house and white tower has stood faithfully at the entrance to Esquimalt harbour. Once a beacon for the British Royal Navy’s Pacific Squadron, today Fisgard still marks home base for the Royal Canadian Navy.

More photos on the lighthouse’s own web site here here.

According to the Ordnance Survey’s OS NET web site, the light house has moved in recent years, shifting gradually south in the autumn of 2000. The extensive rainfall in the autumn and winter of 2000 was raised as a factor contributing to the perceived movement, potentially having affected the soil properties at the base of the lighthouse. The station at St. Catherine’s Point has experienced over 9 centimetres of shift southwards since October 2000.

St Catherine\'s Point and lighthouse

St Catherine's Point and lighthouse