The Pachena Lighthouse on the western side of Vancouver Island was built in response to the 1906 shipwreck of the steamer Valencia in the so-called Graveyard of the Pacific. In the 40 years prior to the event, some 56 vessels were wrecked in the area with the loss of 711 lives according to Michael Neitzel's The Valencia Tragedy (Heritage House, 1995). For 40 hours the Valencia was pounded by waves, stranding 80 people less than 100 feet from shore as men watched on the shoreline. Three other vessels failed to provide assistance. More than 100 people lost their lives. The tragedy at Pachena Point was dubbed 'the most shameful incident in Canadian Maritime History'.

[BCBW 2004] "Maritime" "Disaster"