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When Trev and Flo Anderson arrived at Race Rocks with their family in 1966, the old generator building was painted red and had a tall tower attached for the foghorn. By the mid-1970's when we started coming out from Pearson College, the buildings were painted white. In 1978, the last of the wooden structures of the generator room were torn down and the present square block concrete building was erected.
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| "When I first went over to Race Rocks in 1976, the light was made up of four 1000 watt bulbs, with one in the top position on at all times. When the bulb burnt out, it would automatically change positions with a new bulb. The light floated on a platform on a bath of mercury to reduce friction. Years later, Trev wonders how many light keepers were affected by the vapors given off from such mercury sources. In 1978, a beacon was installed that relied on more sophisticated electronics to send out a powerful beam . It wasn't until after the Anderson's left the station that the basin of mercury was replaced with a newer design with 8 beams. ( see lights file) |
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It was in 1978 that Trev and Flo Anderson started encouraging students and faculty from Pearson College to seek some kind of protection for underwater Race Rocks. The result was the creation of the Race Rocks Ecological reserve. 33 years later, on August 5, 2011, now retired and living in Victoria, they returned to see the results of the efforts.
Adam Harding's comment in the daily log tells about it.
"Trevor and Flo Anderson, lightkeepers at Race Rocks from July 28, 1966 until March 2, 1982 had a very pleasant visit at Race Rocks today. Trev and Flo provided endless stories of their 16 years here and certainly provided some historical tidbits for our benefit. Many, many things have changed on the Island since the Anderson's time. Garry accompanied while Erik drove the boat."
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Video of Trev and Flo returning to Race Rocks for a visit Click here for 56kb version |
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| This photograph published in the Times Colonist, (March, 2000), shows some architecture no longer present on the island: the tall fog-horn tower. The photo, taken by Gil Parker of Victoria shows the unique lines of the old engine room with the tower attached. Unfortunately this had to make way for modernization and was removed in 1977 |
Demolition at Race Rocks: A film by Trev Anderson converted to digital video, showing the stone house originally built at the base of the tower and the wooden foghorn tower. Both were removed in the1960's and 1970's. |
In 1977, Pearson College acquired a herring skiff for marine science and diving excursions. Here faculty members Garry Fletcher and John Wynne Hughes arrive at the island with students Charlie O'Neill and Andy Richmond on one of their earliest trips to the islands. |
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| We started to visit Race Rocks more frequently and the Andersons invited students to stay on project weeks. Andy and Bronwyn were among those who spent one such week on the island. |
In 1977, PC students Alex, Edmond and Pierre were part of the group visiting on one occasion. In 1978, the herring skiff acquired a new fibreglass cabin , built by our Brazilian duo, Joao Luis and Anthony with help from many others. It was christened by them with the name "Ubatuba" after the beach of that name in Brazil meaning "big canoe" in a Northern Brazilian dialect |
Margaret, Kumene, Bartolomeo, Marta, Laurie and Soledad are a few of those recognized here
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| Trev and Flo helped us when the divers took local students from the public schools on our "Schools Project" field trips out to the Light Station. |
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Trev and Flo invited those of us who had worked so hard on the creation of the Ecological Reserve for Race Rocks in 1979 and 1980 to come to the island for the presentation of medals, ( I think it was "The Order of Race Rocks!") Trev, Hans, Johan, Iina, Garry, Jens and Flo line up under the tower for this picture to mark that occasion.
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WAWA The Wayward Goose: |
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| In the mid seventies, Trev and Flo undertook a lifetime dream of building their own boat. Through winter storms and gales, the boat held firm with steel cables fore and aft attached to metal eye bolts drilled into the rock. |
The many strips of wood which Trev glued together to make the hull |
A snow storm on the island, with winds from the North West. |
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| In one storm the plywood that was covering it blew away. It was for the Anderson's a labor of love for the next seven years. |
Perseverance paid off, and in the spring of 1982, the "Wawa" was launched. |
After breaking the champagne bottle, Flo goes on board with Trev and no doubt could be heard to be saying "She does float after all! |
| The Red Ensign (coast guard version) which graced the bow had been the recognized Canadian flag until 1965. It was under this flag that Trev had served in the North African campaign with the RCAF on active service in the early 1940's. |
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If it had been durable enough to survive that, it would be a good bet to protect the Wawa as she was launched from that most precarious of locations into the seas of Race Passage. Building a 44 foot ketch by an amateur is hard enough on the mainland. Here, isolated on the rocks, it was even that much harder. |
Oded and Ricardo in the "banana boat" help tow the Wawa.
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Wawa in Pedder Bay
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Peter and others catch the lines as Wawa nears the docks
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| After the fitting of the forward mast in Pedder Bay , the next stop was Vancouver for the fitting of the main mast. |
With masts and motor for full control, Wawa would return to Race Rocks for one last time to pick up the rest of Trev and Flo's possessions that they would take with them aboard the boat.
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On their return to Pearson College, the Anderson's spent many hours with our students aboard for shakedown cruises out of Pedder Bay.
College director Jack Matthews accompanies the Andersons and students on one such outing.
Oded from Israel at the helm, Trev with a watchful eye and Francois and Monica just hanging on!
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On one visit in the fall of 1982, Helen, Garry and Sarah Fletcher and Marc and Paul Marc Abrioux go out for a sail with Trev and Flo.
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Helen and Sarah talk to Trev and Flo on the docks at Pearson College. |
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In the following years, they sailed to New Zealand and back to their home port in Sidney, near Victoria, B.C. Eventually WaWa was sold and Trev and Flo moved into a new residence in Victoria where they now live. |
 Flo Anderson has now written a book on their experiences entitled
"Lighthouse Chronicles- Twenty Years
on the BC Lights"
(Click on the book image for ordering information.)
See this review:
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| Trev and Flo came by Taylor Beach for the year 3-4 ten year reunion in 1986. Marks McAvity, Anita and others were part of the group with the Wawa anchored off shore. |
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In her book, Flo portrays vividly the life of her family on lightstations on the B.C. Coast, their years at Race Rocks and their involvement with Pearson College in the creation of the ecological reserve are also described.
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Return to History Index |
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