Estevan Point lighthouse facts for kids

The Estevan Point lighthouse is a cool old lighthouse located on a piece of land called the Hesquiat Peninsula. This peninsula is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.

This lighthouse is famous because it was attacked during World War II in 1942. A Japanese submarine fired at it! This was the first time an enemy had attacked Canadian land since the Fenian Raids in 1866 and 1871.

Today, the Canadian Coast Guard still takes care of the Estevan Point lighthouse. Its light is still active as of 2022. The light flashes two times every 15 seconds. It shines from about 37.5 meters (that's about 123 feet) above the sea.

History of Estevan Point Lighthouse

Long ago, in 1774, a Spanish explorer named Juan José Pérez Hernández visited this area. He traded with the local Nuu-chah-nulth people. He named the land "Punta San Esteban." Four years later, in 1778, Captain James Cook and his team arrived. They also met the local people in Nootka Sound.

The lighthouse itself was built in 1909. It was one of many lighthouses designed by an engineer named William P. Anderson. These lighthouses had special supports called buttresses. The Estevan Point lighthouse was made of concrete. It is a tall, eight-sided tower, about 30.5 meters (100 feet) high.

Originally, the lighthouse used a special type of lens called a Fresnel lens. This lens was made by a company in England called Chance Brothers. In the 1980s, this old lens was taken out. It was later given to a local museum in 2004.

The Attack on Estevan Point Lighthouse

During World War II, the Estevan Point lighthouse was attacked by a Japanese submarine. This happened on June 20, 1942. The submarine, called I-26, came to the surface. It fired about 25 to 30 shells at the lighthouse. It also aimed at the radio station nearby.

At the same time, another Japanese submarine, I-25, attacked Fort Stevens in Oregon, USA. Luckily, the I-26 submarine missed its targets at Estevan Point. The lighthouse and its station were not damaged.

After the attack, five Canadian Navy patrol boats and a flying boat were sent to find the submarine. But they could not find I-26. The submarine got away and went back to Japan.

One of the shells was found by a navy patrol after the attack. More pieces of shells were found in 1973. An expert team destroyed one explosive piece. Another piece, which was not explosive, was given to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. Even though no one was hurt and nothing was damaged, the attack caused a problem. The lights at other lighthouses along the coast were turned off. This made it harder for ships to travel safely.

In 1995, a TV show called The Fifth Estate talked about the attack. Some people who saw the attack described the submarine differently. The show wondered if the attack might have been a "false flag." This means it might have been made to look like an enemy attack, but it was actually done by friendly forces. The idea was that it might have been done to get more support for Canada's Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and his wartime plans.

Climate at Estevan Point