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TRIANGLE ISLAND
WIRELESS TELEGRAPH STATION
In 1910, the Canadian government built a marine radio station on Triangle Island, northwest of Cape Scott which is located on the northernmost point of Vancouver Island. The island is a cone shaped rock formation, 207 meters high and has a circumference of approximately 5 kilometers. Triangle Island is devoid of trees and only minimal vegetation consisting of shrubs and weeds are found. Interestingly, the station was built by the Government of Canada, not the Canadian Marconi Company as was done in the majority of stations in eastern Canada. The station thus began operations in March 1910. The masts for the antennas were made out of the large trees brought from the mainland. Official reports state a radio coverage area of 300 NM, while the Estevan Point station had a range of only 150 NM. The island was so windy that ropes had to be installed between the buildings so that the personnel could move safely amongst them. As an additional security measure, steel cables were installed above the roofs of the buildings and secured into the ground. The station was often out of service due to the harsh meteorological conditions prevalent on the island. The station's first call letters were "TLD" and were probably changed to "VAG" around 1912. Triangle Island handled communications from vessels sailing the Inside Passage between Seymour Pass and Millbank Sound right up until the opening of the Alert Bay station in 1913. As a result, Triangle Island became a relay station for communications between the north and south, ensuring a safety watch for vessels on the high seas and those sailing along the coast of Vancouver Island. The station was also responsible for communications for stations of the Queen Charlotte archipelago, as well as those at Ikeda Head and Dead Tree Point. Triangle Island was closed in 1919 as a result of the never ending costs associated with the reconstruction and repairs to the station due to the strong winds continually experienced on the island. (Source: Marine Radio Communications and Traffic Services History in Canada)
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