The Bowen Queen is one of three Powell River Class ferries operated by BC Ferries.
The CCGS Cape Cockburn is one of the Canadian Coast Guard’s 36 Cape class motor life boats. Her primary role is search and rescue.
Electronics:
Nearshore Fishery Research Vessel CCGS Neocaligus at Mayne Island.
Neocaligus is based out of Patricia Bay, and is used primarily for inshore fisheries research.
The Active Pass Light Station lighthouse Georgina Point on the northern tip of Mayne Island marks the entrance to Active Pass. Part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Georgina Point is located between Maude Bay and Oyster Bay.
The light station was built in 1885 to warn ships of the reefs and rough waters of Active Pass. The original 1885 lighthouse was replaced in 1940 by a square keeper’s dwelling surmounted by a lantern room. In 1969, a cylindrical concrete structure topped by a lantern and galley was constructed to serve as the lighthouse, but the square dwelling was retained to house the keeper. The modern tower has a focal plane of 17.5 metres and flashes a white light every ten seconds. The light can be seen up to 17 nautical miles away.
Active Pass Light Station fell victim to the de-staffing movement when its last keeper, Jean Beaudet, left the station in 1997. Ownership of the property was transferred to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in 2006, while the Canadian Coast Guard still has responsibility for the navigational aids.
The Queen of Burnaby crossing Georgia Strait from Powell River as she heads into the BC Ferries terminal at Little River, near Comox on Vancouver Island.
I never tire of these beautiful ships…
I’ve always enjoyed fishing boats and the sights and sounds of a marina, so I headed down to the Comox marina at night to take some pictures – in December…
HMCS Calgary (FFH 335) is a Halifax-class frigate, the sixth vessel in her class and the second vessel to carry the name Calgary. Built as part of the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project., Calgary was laid down on 15 June 1991 at MIL Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon, QC, and launched on 28 August 1992. She was commissioned into on 12 May 1995.
On 6 June 2011 Calgary was turned over to Seaspan Marine Corporation’s Victoria Shipyards to start a 18 month mid-life upgrading and modernization. Calgary was returned to the RCN from Victoria Shipyards on 1 June 2012 and as of fall 2013 is conducting sea acceptance trials.
Motto: “Onward”
Propulsion:
Sensors:
Armament:
Nanoose Bay has a long been home to the the Nanoose First Nation (Snaw-Naw-As), who along with 18 other tribes in the Salish Sea are Coast Salish people.
It’s also been home to marinas, and aquaculture, a large lumber mill, and currently the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range (CFMETR).
There’s a bit of history here:
And today… there is not much that remains.
In 1912, Port Alberni was incorporated with the arrival of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, and planned arrival of the Canadian National Railway, and the trans-Pacific telegraph cable at Bamfield. The Alberni Pacific railway began operations in 1912 into Port Alberni, and today, exists as a working tourist railway running between the station located at the Port Alberni harbour and the McLean Mill National Historic Site.
I managed to get a ride aboard a train pulled by the railways 1929 Baldwin 2-8-2T, the “No.7”.
This locomotive was purchased new by the Campbell River Timber company as their #2 and was later purchased by the Alberni Pacific Lumber company and became #7 . After Alberni Pacific abandoned railway logging in 1953, #7 was acquired by MacMillan Bloedel and became #1007 at the Franklin River division.
Renumbered as #1055 the locomotive saw mainline service in Ladysmith until 1969 and as a switcher until 1971. The BC government acquired the locomotive in 1975 and kept it in storage at Ladysmith until In 1991, when it was donated to The City of Port Alberni and subsequently restored to running condition.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The notation 2-8-2T indicates a tank locomotive of this wheel arrangement where feed water for the boiler is carried in tanks mounted on the locomotive, rather than in an attached tender. These locomotives are commonly referred to as Mikados.
The Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific used Mikado locomotives for passenger and freight trains throughout Canada. Most worked in the Rocky Mountains, where the standard 4-6-2 Pacifics and 4-6-4 Hudsons could not provide enough traction to handle the steep mountain grades.
Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad (railway) locomotives. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of diesels was far less so – the company stopped producing locomotives in 1956 and went out of business in 1972.
A quick stop at Top Bridge to visit the suspension bridge over the Englishman River near Parksville. The water was low so I took the side trail down to the river to look for some nice dead salmon that had yet to be eaten by a bear, bird or cougar. and of course to take a few pictures of the river and the bridge.
I had a bear bell and bear spray with me as this is borderline back county, and salmon are a tasty and important food source for bears and other animals that would likely want to eat me as well if I came between them and supper. What I did not have though was a polarizing filter.
Bright sun streaming through broken cloud onto water. Nasty, but I was there and got a few so-so shots despite the lack of the polarizer and a few other tricks that I should have had with me.
At least I did not get eaten or washed down the river…
