Sheringham Point Light, Heritage lighthouse in Shirley, British Columbia, Canada
Sheringham Point Lighthouse is a 19.5-metre hexagonal reinforced-concrete tower with six flared buttresses supporting the gallery, painted white with a red lantern. Its original third-order Fresnel lens was removed in 1976 and is displayed at the Sooke Region Museum; the light is now automated and emits a green flash every 15 seconds.
The lighthouse was built in 1912 following the shipwreck of the SS Valencia, designed by architect William P. Anderson to guide vessels through Juan de Fuca Strait. It represents a turning point in making this dangerous shipping route safer for mariners passing Vancouver Island.
The point is named for William L. Sheringham, who took part in naval surveys elsewhere, not in this area. Since 2003 the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, founded by Shirley residents, has cared for the site; former politician Pat Carney, called "Canada's champion of lighthouses", spoke at the 2016 ceremony marking its heritage designation.
The site is accessible via marked walking trails that loop around the grounds and are easy to follow. Wear sturdy shoes since the terrain is rocky and paths can become slippery when wet.
Between 1968 and 1989, the site served as a measuring station for Canadian fisheries research, recording water temperature and salinity data daily. This scientific work helped researchers understand the local marine environment better.
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