Fisgard Lighthouse

The first lighthouse on Canada's west coast is still in operation! Fisgard Lighthouse is one of Canada's National Historic Sites. There hasn't been a keeper here since the light was automated in 1929, but every year many thousands of visitors step inside a real 19th century lighthouse and capture some of the feeling of ships wrecked and lives saved.

Built by the British in 1860, when Vancouver Island was not yet part of Canada, Fisgard's red brick house and white tower has stood faithfully at the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour. Once a beacon for the British Royal Navy's Pacific Squadron, today Fisgard still marks home base for the Royal Canadian Navy.

Inside the building are two floors of exhibits, dealing with shipwrecks, storms, far-flung lights and the every day working equipment of the light keeper a century ago.

The waterfront sites at Fisgard Lighthouse and Fort Rodd Hill are extremely photogenic, especially with the scenic backdrop of the Olympic Mountains in neighbouring Washington state.

The Straight of Juan de Fuca almost always has a ship passing by, from small sailing vessels, to enormous cargo ships, and the proximity of the Canadian Navy base means that military craft of several nations can often be seen at close range.