Monday November 23, 2020 | SHIRLEY, BC
by Mary Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society has released a new book this month, chronicling the history of Sheringham Lighthouse… the light, the land and the families who tended the light at Sheringham Point at Shirley, BC (just west of Sooke).
Sheringham: A Canadian Heritage Story (ISBN 9780991864416) was authored and researched by Rebecca Quinn and Society volunteers.
The full-colour 60-page book covers the history of the iconic lighthouse at Sheringham Point located at 1 Sheringham Point Road. In 2013, the lighthouse was designated by the federal government as a Canadian Lighthouse Heritage Site. The site was acquired by the Society in 2015.
With over 65 photos, maps, journal entries, charts and biographies of the lighthouse keepers and their families, information about junior lightkeepers, the land purchase, and the construction of Sheringham Point Road (the historic access) and the work of the Society, this book will be a fun and interesting read.
The book can be purchased at the www.sheringhamlighthouse.org websites and other locations around the Victoria/Sooke area.
The tower was first built in 1912, making it now 108 years old… it has now seen two pandemics! The Society continues with its restoration project of the lighthouse structure, engine room, and property in general.
Former (retired) Canadian senator Pat Carney serves on the Society’s board of directors. She says that “Canada’s lighthouses are treasure chests of community stories and legends”.
