Calls grow for Ottawa to pause plans to de-staff 2 B.C. lighthouses over safety concerns [Video]

Calls are growing for the federal government to pause plans to de-staff two lighthouses on Vancouver Island over fears the move could put mariners and hikers in danger.

The stations at Pachena and Carmanah points are more than a century old and stand along the West Coast Trail – a 75-kilometre trek originally designed to assist shipwreck survivors that now welcomes 7,500 hikers annually.

Back in July, the Canadian Coast Guard announced plans to remove lightkeepers from the stations and automate services before winter arrives, citing a recent assessment that found the grounds are eroding and unsafe for staff.

“The difficult decision was made to move the keepers offsite now, before the winter weather arrives and makes the logistics of moving much more challenging,” the Canadian Coast Guard explained in a statement.

The agency says it is in the process of investigating long term options for the nationally designated heritage …