Saving The Sambro Island Lighthouse
The Sambro Island lighthouse was built during the Seven Years War by the very first act passed by Nova Scotia`s House of Assembly on October 2, 1758 which placed a tax on incoming vessels and alcohol imports to pay for the lighthouse. John Rous was appointed the first light keeper and used cannons as fog signals before a steam whistle was installed in the 1870`s. The hungry rocks of the Sambro Ledges ate many ships and one of the worst disasters was the April 3, 1884 sinking of the SS Daniel Steinman. The light keepers on the island are credited to saving nine souls of the 130 aboard.
The Sambro Island lighthouse has become a symbol for not only the proud families of nearby Sambro Nova Scotia but also for hundreds if not thousands of new immigrants to Canada, which is why some refer to it as Canada’s Statue of Liberty! Recently the current Federal Government has announced they will no longer be funding the upkeep of this historic lighthouse. The cutting of funding by the current Harper government as a direct attack on our culture and history!
Since 1758 when the Sambro Island lighthouse was first erected it has survived centuries of tempests. The lighthouse has allowed many mariners to survive many treacherous storms in the constant battle of man versus nature. Since the de-staffing of light keepers in 1988, this once proud national historic site is now in a losing the battle with ignorant politicians at the federal level. This battle has been going on for decades and one need to look no further than the derelict houses that were once homes to generations of families who called Sambro Island home. People have been replaced by pigeons.
The Harper government has drastically stepped up a sinister plan in the ``War against Canada`s Lighthouse`s`` by eliminating all funding to maintain the structures which have saved so many lives before Canada even became a country! In a valiant attempt the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation society was formed in 1994 and played an integral role in restoring Sambro Island lighthouse in 2008 to commemorate its 250th birthday.
“Lighthouses are fundamental to Nova Scotia’s heritage. Though they are automated and de-staffed, many still stand sentinel along the coast. Others have been demolished or replaced by steel masts. We cannot assume the remaining lights will survive, for new electronic navigation systems make lighthouses less necessary. The NSLPS takes a leading role in protecting these historic lights, We promote and support awareness and preservation of Nova Scotia lighthouses, assist community groups in leasing or taking ownership of lighthouse sites, provide access to written research and photographic documentation, initiate oral history research and monitor the status of historic lighthouse sites.”
Unfortunately small localities and societies do not have the deep pockets (our tax dollars) like our federal government. As a result the structures are now in a losing battle against both the environment and the more deadly ignorant man.
The federal government plans on using updated navigational technology that renders lighthouses obsolete. This abandonment by the federal government of much of the historic maritime cultural infrastructure, not to mention its services and the economy, has seen many lighthouses close. Updated navigational technology is fantastic to have but it is only as good as the batteries that provide power to a ships electronics. Once the electronics go down a prudent sailor had better know how to use the basics of dead reckoning and paper chart work to get to safety. And the people at the helm had better know how to use the nav aids.
Many accidents have already occured because of improper use of electronic navigation. And not just recreational sailors. For proof of this asertation one has to look no further than the grounding of the Japanese fishing vessel Shinei Maru №85 in 2003 when among other things that happened on the bridge that night, the auto-pilot was out of alignment of five degrees and caused the hapless crew to run the ship aground in nearby Portugese Cove, N.S..
In 2009 a US Naval warship, USS Port Royal, ``….went aground near Oahu, Hawaii as a result of a misread navigation, broken equipment, and an inexperienced bridge crew. `` Another example of over reliance or inadequate use of electronic navigational equipment was reported in the January 2013 grounding of the US minesweeper `Guardian`` in the Phillipines. The US Navy had concluded that `` digital nautical charts contained inaccurate data and may have been a factor in the Guardian’s grounding``
Nothing is more accurate than a lighthouse. The Sambro Island lighthouse has stood on the same rocky island since 1758 whose light has constantly shone at night and during inclement weather, the cannons to the modern day foghorn has always operated guiding mariners to safety for centuries.
Canada’s Statue of Liberty is slated for demolition by Hurricane Harper in 2015. So rather than Sambro Island lighthouse saving lives it is up to us, the people the government is supposed to represent, to save it from the Harper government. Until that regime change happens and a truly responsible government is put in place, grass roots organizations such as the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society and the newly formed Save the Sambro Island Lighthouse group have taken on the responsibility to do what is right.
Authors Note: This article was written a few years ago but could not get it published in Canada because it was deemed to be too politically charged in defiance of then Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Fortunately Hurricane Harper has fizzled out and his policy is now irrelevant.
