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Ethelda Bay

Every now and then I get pictures and information sent to me.
Some pertain to sites and places I have online already.
Then there are those that fit into this category.
A small piece of real estate in the middle of no where.
But real people manned this site,
and Mr. Bennett's family were one.

Mr. Vince Bennett (Jr) sent me these photos,
and is now working on a story to go with them,
and more pictures I hope,
which I will add here.

Ethelda Bay is on the north end of Barnard Island,
which is part of the Estevan Group of Islands,
which are on the south end of the Queen Charlotte Islands,
now known as Haida Gwaii,
all on the North Coast of BC,
just west of Tennant Island.

Latitude: 53° 3' 8" N
Longitude: 129° 40' 33" W
In Range 4, BC Coast Land District
Name of this Bay became official in 1946
Name origin unknown.

The Estevan Group consists of Islands
were all named after BC Lieutenant Governors,
Trutch, Barnard, Dewdney, Prior and Lotbinière

Sir Francis "Frank" Stillman Barnard,
was a businessman and politician,
10th Lieutenant Governor, 1914-1919.
b- May 16, 1856, in Toronto ON
d- Apr 11, 1936, in Victoria BC

Ethelda Bay was originally a Radio Beacon Station
operated by the DOT, Ottawa

I know at one time it was a weather station CWTC

Ethelda Bay ca 1957

If you look carefully in this picture there is a little Farmall Tractor
parked on the wooden ramp in front of the one building.
turns out this little tractor was sold at a Government Auction
and ended up in Houston BC.
It is alive and well in 2016.

Ethelda Bay ca 2005

Message from Vince Dec 2011
I lived at Ethelda Bay from 1957 to 1959 with my family.
The Battison family at Trutch were our closest, and only neighbors.
My Dad (Vince Bennett Sr.) was with the DOT until 1961,
 when he joined BC Tel.
We spent time in Sandspit and Terrace,
 before he finished his career in the lower mainland.
I have lots of my Dad's photo's of Ethelda Bay,
but not many of Trutch,
 but I'm always coming up with some new ones.
 I also have some photo's taken when we were in Terrace ca1966-67.
 I am hoping you can tell me what became of the site at Ethelda Bay.
We were the first group to man it,
but I have no idea what transpired there after we left.
My Dad took a lot of photo's and developed them himself.
It would be great to actually correspond with someone who was there after us.
Looking forward to hearing from you

Vince would like to communicate with any one else that worked at this site,
or a family member of that person.
Send your message to me, and I will gladly forward it on.

A Mr J. D. Williamson was Radio Operator
for the DOT at Ethelda Bay in 1963.
He won a gas picnic stove, for suggesting
recreational equipment be moved from one station to another,
to add variety and increase morale.

I see online a Dan Pollock and his wife Danielle,
bought the site from the DOT in 1996,
and were turning it into a Tourist / Fishing lodge.
But a death and bad health a few years ago, forced this operation
to be put on hold, I think?
what is there today 2011?
who owns the site?
Any history please send it on, and I will add it here,
as space permits, with full credit to the author.

Ethelda Bay Ventures was a company
working on the abalone fishery here.

Drawing of Ethelda Bay, MOT station, ca late 1950's
drawn by a Reverend that visited the station once a month,
on the "Thomas Crosby" Mission boat
painting signed D. Oldham
picture sent to me by Joanne Milton,
Picture was given to her grandmother.
Her father and mother lived at the station in the late 1950's
Jim and Beth Milton.

Vince mentions Trutch Island and BC Tel
Here is the link to view my history of that radio site.
http://www.gent-family.com/radiohistory/chapter3.html

Trutch Island BC Tel site was across from this site

and the complete Northwest BC Tel History here.
http://www.gent-family.com/bctel_terrace_district_history/historymenu.html

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