Fisgard Lighthouse
In French: Phare de Fisgard
603 Fort Rodd Hill Road, Colwood
Fisgard Lighthouse, 1939 and today
Drag across to compare. The two views aren’t taken from exactly the same spot.
1939: Public domain. Today: Photo: Bruce Tuten · CC BY 2.0.
About Fisgard Lighthouse
In Colwood, Fisgard Lighthouse is one of 3 National Historic Sites. Its record dates Fisgard Lighthouse to 1859–1861. Joseph Pemberton, John J. Cochrane and John Wright designed it. 2 more historic places stand within 400 m of it.
Fisgard Lighthouse, a tapering 56-foot (17 m) cylindrical tower surmounted by a multi-faceted lantern, is built into a rectangular two-storey dwelling with a gable roof. Constructed in 1859-1860 to mark the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour, it was commissioned on November 16, 1860 and automated in 1928. The lighthouse was in continuous operation until 1957, when a fire temporarily halted its use as an aid to navigation. It is located on Fisgard Island, a small island south of Vancouver Island, on the west side of the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour, just north of Juan de Fuca Strait, in British Columbia. There are two related buildings on the site that contribute to the heritage character of the lighthouse: (1) a replica boathouse built in 1978; and (2) a replica storehouse built in the 1960s.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada · Open Government Licence – Canada · the register’s own words, unchanged
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board recommends National Historic Sites; the designation marks national significance, not ownership.
1 old view of Fisgard Lighthouse
Made before 1950, from 1939: public domain or CC0. Tap one to see it full screen.
1939From Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server; some are drawings, prints or maps of their time. Each credit is in the viewer.
Make it a walk: 4 historic places in about 10 minutes
Colwood · about 600 m on foot, as the crow flies
1 within 300 m
Every place on the record within this distance; each opens its own page.
Questions about Fisgard Lighthouse
When was Fisgard Lighthouse built?
By its record, Fisgard Lighthouse dates from 1859–1861.
Is Fisgard Lighthouse protected?
The designation recognizes its national significance; it doesn’t by itself protect a building the federal government doesn’t own. Provincial or municipal designation may.
Can you visit Fisgard Lighthouse?
Its exterior is visible from public ground; access inside is up to the owner.
What is Fisgard Lighthouse?
Since 1958, Fisgard Lighthouse has been a National Historic Site of Canada.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).