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June 2001 West Vancouver Historical Society Pages Memories Of The Capilano Lighthouse By: Anne Vernon It was my pleasure and priviledge recently to attend West Vancouver Museum's opening ceremony for their latest exhibit, dedicated to the Point Atkinson Lighthouse, known and loved by countless West Vancouverites. Many families have been involved with BC lighthouses over the years and several of them were at the opening to support Don Graham, who played an active part in putting together the exhibit for the Museum. Through Don, we hope to be able to bring you stories from the Dawes family (who were present that night). Below is one only of the many stories which have been preserved about the Harris family of the Capilano Lighthouse, which was in service until 1970's. Elaine Harrop Hollingsworth also attended the recent Museum ceremony. She had previously made contact by telephone with director Joan Skinner to tell her that she was a great-grandaughter of Captain Harris, the first light-keeper of the Capilano Lighthouse and Fog Alarm Station, and had in her possession much material from her grandmother, Dorothy, the Harris's daugher. They arranged to meet for a chat after the opening ceremonies were over. During the reception after the speeches, Elaine met several of the society's directors, who were so interested in all she had to say that arrangements were made for a further meeting. So a week or so after the opening Elaine, together with her sister Wendy Harrop Abbott, met with Susan Dirassar, Joan Skinner, and your editor, to share some Harris stories with us. We are delighted to tell you that their grandmother, Dorothy Harris Harrop, kept immaculate written and photographic records of many family events covering the years the family spent at the light station under the Lions Gate Bridge. One of their other sisters, Patricia Harrop Silverton, who lives in the interior, has also retained many of their grandmother’s photographs and records and had given Elaine a list of some of her material -we hope to meet with her when she comes to Vancouver this month. Many were the photographs, letters and certificates in Elaine's file - some going back to the 1870's! Captain Harris was a ship's engineer before he came to Canada with his family and all his professional records came with him. His daughter obviously cherished and retained them. However, it will be an onerous job for his descendants to collate them. We feel sure we shall have more stories to tell you from this family, and hope to see their parents some time this summer when, no doubt, many other stories will come to light. Meantime, the following is an excerpt taken from "On The Job", a magazine which was published during the First World War, by and for the employees of the Couchlan Shipyard in Vancouver, where Captain Harris' son, Leslie Harris, was employed. "Canoes Across Narrows In Dark Hours of Night Difficulties in the way of getting to and from work, which would appear almost if not quite insurmountable to most young fellows, are lightly overcome by a young apprentice in the yard, Leslie Harris, to wit. Young Harris is a Lighthouse-keepers' son and lives with his parents in the Capilano Fog Alarm Station. He works on the second shift here, and had quite a problem to overcome, before he could take a job which would send him home after midnight. Here is what Leslie does every night after he quits work at the yard. He takes a car down to Granville Street. If he is lucky he may get a car going west on Pender Street, other nights he first has to walk. His lonely tramp carries him across Stanley Park to a point almost opposite his home, on the other side of Burrard Inlet. There he climbs into bis canoe which be had tied up on coming to work and tackling a tide and current which bothers many power boats he paddles across the Narrows. "Only an expert canoist could make the trip...." Only an expert canoist could make the trip - but Harris will never have to learn any more than he knows now about handling a canoe. He has had many thrilling experiences in the Narrows, probably the most exciting being in a canoe in a storm, late one Sunday evening. There was a heavy sea running and outside the Lighthouse where the Capilano pours its waters into the sea, it was meeting a turning tide, which no swimmer, however strong, would have survived. Around ten o'clock his little canoe could be seen shooting from one breaker to the next; then out of sight for several minutes, witnesses on the shore felt sure that daring youngster was done for. Up the small craft would shoot again however, and all the time coming nearer the Lighthouse. His parents seeing him coming conunenced shouting, warning him not to attempt to turn broadsides to the current. But Harris was equal to his job. He realized his danger, but decided that as he could not turn back against the tide he had to go on. Just as be got to the mouth of the Capilano where ordinarily he would turn in for home, be was seen to ship his paddle. Then gripping the two sides of the canoe, he jumped, lifting the light boat with him. In mid air he twisted the canoe round so that he faced the Lighthouse. So strong was the current that in half a minute the boat covered the 200 yards to the Lighthouse. Witnesses of the incident declare that this trick of "jumping his canoe", which he had often practised in smooth water, undoubtedly saved bis life in the storm that night." Leslie Harris was a very active and much loved son and brother. He, like many more of his generation, was lured by his sense of adventure to try his luck in the Yukon gold strike. His luck was good there and he made a reasonable strike, but on his journey home his luck eventually ran out. A fellow traveller stole his gold and pushed him overboard. All that remained for his family were a few personal effects left behind in his cabin - and their memories of many years and of happier times.