002  Bamfield Cable Station.  This was the terminus of the undersea cable from Fanning Island in the south Pacific Ocean, and from there to Australia.  One continuous length of cable, 3500 miles long, was laid in 1902.  From Bamfield a landline connection went to Port Alberni and from there, onto Vancouver telegraph systems.  The landline connection was found to be unreliable and an undersea cable was laid up the Alberni Canal a few years later.  Informative cable site here.

003  Estevan Point's old wireless operations building in the fore ground.  The wooden stepped masts were built up using shipwright techniques.       Public Archives of Canada.

004  Charlie and Gene Aitkens.  Charlie was a wireless operator from about 1921 to 1937 at various stations along the British Columbia coast.  He and his family spent about half that time at Estevan.

005  Pilings were driven into Tofino's Long Beach early in World War 2.  There was a worry that the Japanese Air Force could use the beach as an aircraft landing strip.  These pilings would frustrate that plan.     Public Archives of Canada.

006   A small house is visible near the point.  This image was taken near Clo-oose (eas of Pachena) during a 1940's survey looking for suitable military very high frequency direction finding stations sites.  These sites would triangulate and thus locate the source of any transmissions.   Public Archives of Canada.

008   "Mr. McConnel with a load of planks for Phil's house."  McConnel was the station mechanic.  Phil Eldridge was an operator during the years 1929 to 1937.   He married in 1935 and was building his own house.

011  Alec Chisholm (b. 1891 d. 1971) up a mast at Estevan.  Alec was a rigger and did all the tower erection and repairs.  Gene Aitkens' diary mentions Chisholm visiting in May 1934.

012  1980's photo of the Estevan Point community. Old and new operations buildings view.

013  Charlie Aitkens catching a quick nap in the operations room at Estevan Point wireless.

014  Photo 1 of 3.  A note from Ken advises this is the wreck of the 'Santa Rita', 1600 T steamer, on Dare Point, a short distance to the east from Carmanah Point light station.  She grounded on 5:30 AM February 14, 1923.  In 1923 Charlie Aitkens may have been at Carmanah Point.

015  Photo 2 of the 'Santa Rita' wreck.  She was equipped with wireless and her distress message received by Estevan gave a rough location of being near Tatoosh Island (N.W. tip of Washington State's Olympic peninsula).  In fact she had hit Effingham/Village Island in Barclay Sound, some 40 N.Miles north.

016  Photo 3 of the 'Santa Rita' wreck.  Even though seas were breaking over the vessel, all 31 aboard made it safely to shore via a breeches buoy, run ashore through the storm, by a brave seaman.  Only injury was a cut hand.

017  Charlie Aitkens on watch.  Note the transmitter's tubes glowing behind the windows.  Quite likely Estevan.

018  General view of the Pachena wireless station sometime shortly after it reopened with direction finding capabilities.  Light tower in the background.  Direction finding receiver hut in the center of the photo.  Station used two loops of wire at right angles to each other.  Posts holding the ends of the loops are visible.  A vessel could call the station and in return, the operators at Pachena would tell the vessel his bearing to the station.  This was a great aid to vessel navigation in the days before other electronic navigational aids.

019  Radio mast at Carmanah Light station.  Radio telephone sets were fitted to many light stations in the 1920's.  Eventually this location had a radio beacon to aid vessel navigation.

020  Carmanah Point light tower.

021  Carmanah Point radio mast.

022  Mid 1920's Bull Harbor, obviously taken from one of the radio towers.  Looking southwards showing the board walk and two operator's residences.

023  Mid 1920's view of Bull Harbor looking southwards towards a residence.

024  Estevan Point Wireless and Light Station from the light tower.  Large building is the 1922 power/radio operations building.  Diesel cooling tower is off to the left.  Rail tracks are noticeable heading off the upper left, most likely to the old supply landing to the north of the station.  Unknown date but would have been in Chas' time, 1930's.

025  Undated photo (1930's) of Clo-oose, a coastal village between Pachena and Carmanah Light stations.  Today the settlement is much smaller and is a stop on Pacific Rim National Park's West Coast Trail.

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