Memories of Cape St. James
History of Cape St. James
A work in progress! I tried to get some informaton via a google search but very little showed up. Please contact me if you have anything to add to this section.
E-Mail: soleil124@hotmail.com
Capt. Wm. Oliver, Mrs. Lawrence, wife of the lightkeeper, and Rev. R.C. Scott, Cape St. James. 1929-1935
Various views of the Island and buildings - 1944
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The Daily Colonist May 7, 1914
WIRELESS STATION FOR CAPE ST. JAMES
Removal of Dead Tree Point Radio Apparatus to Southern End of Queen Charlotte Islands Under Consideration
It is understood that the Dominion Government has under consideration the removal of the Dead Tree Point wireless plant from its present location to Cape St. James at the most southerly point of the Queen Charlotte Islands. When the change will be effected is as yet a matter for speculation, but it is almost as assured fact that before the end of the Summer the apparatus now in operation at Dead Tree Point will be receiving its messages from seaward at the southern station.
The Dead Tree Point station is located on Graham Island, Hecate Strait, and is almost in the latitude of Prince Rupert. As the powerful Digby Island station is capable of taking care of messages from vessels navigating the eastern coasts of the Queen Charlottes, there is no absolute need of a wireless station at Graham Island.
A station located at the southern end of the Queen Charlottes would be advantageous to transpacific shipping and would also benefit vessels taking the inside passage.
It was only early this year that the powerful lighthouse was completed at Cape St. James, and the proposed wireless station is to be erected on an adjoining promontory.
It is not improbable that in the near future a powerful wireless station will be erected at Langara Island, the most northerly point of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The chain of wireless stations will be about complete with radio plants at Cape St. James and Langara.
Operations are expected to be started within a few weeks on the new first order lighthouse at Bonilla Island, Hecate Strait. This lighthouse will be of the type now at Langara Island, the tower being of concrete construction and surmounted by a powerful lamp.
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These are from the roughradio.ca site -
photos were taken from shortly after the
end of World War ll to the early sixties
Cape St. James transmitter and receiver around 1952. This equipment stashed in the corner kept this very isolated station in contact with the world. Receiver is sitting on top of the transmitter.
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Transmitter would be fixed frequency so no external tuning would be available. Station transmitted synoptic weather reports to Prince Rupert radio and wasn't a coast station as such itself.
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The device above the clock is a wind direction indicator. Against the right hand side of the photo is a recording barograph. Completing the meteorological equipment would be the rain gauge, wind speed indicator, a mercury barometer, wet & dry bulb thermometers and the light keeper's eyeballs. The keeper would take a weather observation at, say every six hours, and radio it in to the local coast station. The coast station would pass it on to the weather office.