By the late 1930’s the threat of war looming in Europe was being felt across the Atlantic. In preparation, the Canadian navy built a signal station beside Pt. Atkinson's light tower, manned by cadets. Its function was to control the marine traffic in and out of the port of Vancouver. By 1940 a communication cable was laid from Point Grey to Point Atkinson. The cadets used signal flags and Morse code with a lamp or an FR-12 small radio to communicate with the examination vessels out on the water. When a ship approached the imaginary line between the two points, it was required to reduce speed and use its signal pennants to identify itself to the patrolling vessels, known as X-Vics. In 1941 two searchlight bunkers were installed east and west of the station, housing 60” carbon-arc concentrated beam searchlights. These were used to illuminate the vessels at night and the examination gun when firing stopping rounds. In 1942 an 18 pounder Mark I gun was mounted on a pivot supported by a concrete base below the tower. By December, 1943 the examination was reduced to one boat and the Point Atkinson gun; and by March, 1944 the examination service ended, the gun and searchlights were dismantled that summer
Prior to army barracks being built, the Veterans Guard WWI Vets were assigned to man Point Atkinson and were housed in the lightkeepers' duplex.
The army built a road through the park, a dock on the station, a tramway from the dock to the army buildings with a landing winch housed on top. A radio mast was also installed. The army battery included an observation post, a parade grounds set up in the forest and a camp consisting of: an officers quarters, kitchen and dining hall, men's barracks, guard house, engineers hut and ablution hut – in all 80 troops of the 15th Coast Regiment RCA and 3rd Searchlight Battery of the 1st Searchlight Regiment RCA were housed in the barracks behind the station. The army personnel and the keeper's family visited back and forth and formed casual friendships.
After the army left, the Junior Forest Wardens used the abandoned buildings, from 1946-63. Some of these buildings still stand in the park, having long since been converted to peaceful uses. The former dining hall is run by the Girl Guides as the Phyl Munday Nature House and Hut #2 was renamed Sk'iwitsut Hut, and is used as a summertime day camp by the District of West Vancouver.
Prior to army barracks being built, the Veterans Guard WWI Vets were assigned to man Point Atkinson and were housed in the lightkeepers' duplex.
The army built a road through the park, a dock on the station, a tramway from the dock to the army buildings with a landing winch housed on top. A radio mast was also installed. The army battery included an observation post, a parade grounds set up in the forest and a camp consisting of: an officers quarters, kitchen and dining hall, men's barracks, guard house, engineers hut and ablution hut – in all 80 troops of the 15th Coast Regiment RCA and 3rd Searchlight Battery of the 1st Searchlight Regiment RCA were housed in the barracks behind the station. The army personnel and the keeper's family visited back and forth and formed casual friendships.
After the army left, the Junior Forest Wardens used the abandoned buildings, from 1946-63. Some of these buildings still stand in the park, having long since been converted to peaceful uses. The former dining hall is run by the Girl Guides as the Phyl Munday Nature House and Hut #2 was renamed Sk'iwitsut Hut, and is used as a summertime day camp by the District of West Vancouver.