FORT RODD
HILL &
FISGARD
LIGHTHOUSE,
by
Beginning in the middle 1800s, coastal defense
fortifications bristled at strategic points along the coastline of both the
Fort Rodd Hill is one of the best preserved
examples of British Coastal Defense Forts in the world. Now a National Historic Site, this fort
consists of original structures, with minimal restoration. The park also includes
the c1860 Fisgard Lighthouse, the first lighthouse on
Canada=s
west coast.
Fort Rodd Hill is a living history museum, historical displays, audio posts and interpretive
signs all bring to life the story of this magnificent military ghost.
The story of Fort Rodd Hill begins
in Colonial British Columbia when defense of the natural harbors at
Passing through the massive gate and past the
c1895 guardhouse with its audio display, the upper battery overlooks the
Other items of interest in the upper battery
include the underground ammunition magazine, the
commander’s firing post, an electric light directing station, guardhouse,
telephone exchange and a 7000 gallon water tank that could supply the battery
for several days.
Located between the upper and the lower batteries
is a two-story brick structure built in 1897 to billet non-commissioned (NCO)
and warrant officers. It later served as
an officer=s
mess. Just to the west is a single-story,
white, wooden building, which was the officers’ quarters. Behind the NCO quarters, a squat jail-like
building housed the fitter, which was similar to a blacksmith. On the hill above was the battery commander’s
post.
Just south and hidden behind some trees is the
Belmont Battery. It was built between
1898 and 1900, and consisted of guns, a lookout tower and searchlight
electrical generation plant. The guns
were two, rapid-fire, single-barreled, 12-pounders mounted on the top of the
wall. They could fire about 15 rounds
per minute at smaller, fast moving boats such as torpedo boats, that could
dodge the slow, but nasty six-inch guns.
The rapid-fire guns were also located on the other batteries in the
entire multi-fort V-E Fortress complex.
In 1944, they were replaced by double-barrel six-pounders that could
fire up to 72 rounds per minute.
The electrical generating plant was capable of
generating enough power to light up all 17 of the V-E Fortress’ searchlights at
the same time.
At the lower battery, two more six-inch guns were
mounted, along with another underground magazine. This was the largest of the post’s three
batteries, containing a canteen and casemate barracks housing most of the
troops. The canteen was a popular spot for the post’s soldiers; a place where
they could hang out with their buddies, or purchase drinks and snacks. The barracks housed up to 54 soldiers, and
contained a food and fuel storage facility, kitchen, latrine and washhouse. A small parade field was also located here.
On the north end of the battery, a well-protected
bunker deep under the walls housed the map room, the nerve center for the
post. From here firing directions could
be given to the batteries, throughout the V-E Fortress complex.
Scattered across the fort are camouflaged
searchlight emplacements, one of which looks like a small beach fishing shack.
On a small islet just offshore from the lower
battery, and connected to the shore by a narrow, man-made peninsula, the Fisgard Lighthouse marked the rocks at the entrance to
Parks Canada has done an outstanding job of
preserving both Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse
as one National Historic Site.
This was our Ghost Town of the Month for August 2009
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FIRST POSTED: August 03, 2009
LAST UPDATED: September 03, 2009
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