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The history of the Discovery Island foghorn

Old and new fog alarm buildings at the Discovery Island Light station in the early 1900's.

Originally the station had a fog alarm bell that was replaced early on in 1893 by a louder steam alarm plant. In the 80s the steam alarm plant was replaced by the existing foghorn building.  The foghorn used air chimes which were made in Vancouver by Airchime. In 1996 when the lighthouse was de-staffed and automated the old foghorn was replaced by a low-energy high pitch electronic horn. And in 2004 when the newer electronic foghorn simply fell over the Coast Guard decide not to go to the expense of fixing it, so the foghorn was simply deactivated and removed from the station, and on September 3, 2004 after 118 years of the foghorn sounding every time the fog rolled in the foghorn was officially deactivated.