Light Hearted Lite #12 – Karen Zacharuk, keeper at Cape Beale, BC

Light Hearted

With the world’s longest coastline and more lakes than the rest of the world combined, Canada is also home to more than 750 lighthouses. In spite of automation, there continue to be 49 staffed lighthouses operated by the Government of Canada.

Aerial view of Cape Beale, BC (Courtesy of Karen Zacharuk)

The light station at Cape Beale is one of the 25 stations that remain staffed on the coast of British Columbia. A resident keeper still maintains the navigation equipment and buildings, monitors the weather and sea conditions, and watches for emergency situations. For more than 15 years, the keeper has been Karen Zacharuk. This is an edited version of an interview first heard on this podcast in July 2020.

Karen Zacharuk and companion at Cape Beale (Courtesy of Karen Zacharuk)