March 29, 2013 update.
I never did get an underwater telephone line, but I DID get a good internet. From Beacon Wireless on SaltSpring Island. Here`s the antenna that receives and transmits, mounted on a tree on the property line between mine and Nick`s property, pointed at Saltspring.

May 12, 2012.
I’m posting here, some of the images and maps for a little project I’m getting done for Hudson Island, to run Phone lines underwater from Thetis Island, so that I can have a reliable phone and internet at DSL speeds on the island. So this isn’t particularly interesting.

Below is a map of Hudson Island.

Below is a map of Thetis Island.

Here is a PDF showing the “right of way” for power and telephone that is registered.

Here is a description written by Gerry Westmacott of Tripower 250 756 5516.

Attached are some pictures to give you an idea as to the route for the telephone
link to Hudson on the Thetis Island side. The length of underground cable from the pole to the low tide area is 800ft including an allowance for the pole.

There is telephone service to the pole at the road but I don’t know if it goes to Hudson Island or to the 3 or 4 adjacent houses which is the most likely scenario.

The beach area looking toward Hudson Island;

The access to the beach area looking back at the high bank drop approx 20 feet up to the dept of Highways right of way where we would bring the cable.

The stair access to the beach area.

The pathway part of the public right of way to the beach.

The foot bridge over a “small” I mean tiny dry stream that we will have to go under.

The power pole and the roadway which is about 1/2 way from the pole to the highbank drop to the beach. This roadway serves the 3 or 4 houses adjacent, so where the existing telephone service probably goes to these houses.

Anyways, hopefully these pictures are helpful to give you an idea of the area that we will have to excavate to get the cable down to the water. I have doctored up the right of way map that I sent you earlier and enlarged the portion on Thetis Island with measurements of the roadway, the pathway, the highbank area, and the foreshore area for routing of the cable. The total length of the on land portion on Thetis Island is 800 ft. to the low tide area.

Another thing, I was quoted a cable from one of our suppliers but it is not suitable, so we are still working on this, it is unfortunately not an easy procurement anymore, as most everyone is going to Fibre Optic cableing at this point in history, and submarine cables are always difficult because of small demand, but as I said, we are working on it.

Days earlier, I had received a Utility Application. It mentioned Tom Hillborn as the contact for submitting that. Tom’s phone is 1-250-751-7239. And a contact at DFO is Michelle Bigg 250-756-7325. I haven’t figured out how to fill out the utility application yet.

July 31, 2012 update. Last weekend, I was on Hudson Island and met personally with Gerry Westmacott, and discussed purchasing the physical cable now, ahead of getting regulatory approvals.

I was introduced via email to Ron Bannister, who has been project manager on similar projects to Dayman Island, from Thetis Island, submarine hydro and communications. Ron suggests checking out wireless from tranzeo.com, a radio system instead of laser. Ron’s email is ron_bannister@telus.net He also suggests transmitting from Chemainus because internet speeds would be much better than from Thetis Island. Cool.

August 3, 2012 update. When I was at Hudson Island a few weeks ago, at a very low tide, I was able to see the power line as it leaves the ocean floor and enters into a steel cladding to protect it as it goes up the rock cliff shore on Hudson Island.

I’m particularly interested in seeing the 2 smaller wires that are broken, corroded and dangling there, and I think these are remnants of when there used to be a phone line. I would suspect that wave action at this bending region, unprotected by cladding, would have caused metal fatigue and eventual breakage. I’m pretty sure I need to improve this bend, so it doesn’t happen to my power line.

August 13, 2012 update. Today I websurfed to Evoshift communications, who run a WiMax service in Victoria BC. Ryley MacKenzie 1-250-298-6131 ext 100, will check if their existing service can reach Hudson Island. If not, I’m proposing to explore installing more gear. Wikipedia says they use ” Using Purewave 802.16e 3.65 GHz WiMAX equipment” probably made by Tranzeo.

September 5, 2012 update. I visited the website of beaconwireless.ca, which has its base on Salt Spring Island. I learned they have transmitter on Mount Bruce, and theoretically I might be able to get internet from them, if I have line-of-sight to their transmitter. I don’t know exactly where their transmitter is, but I made a guess at the highest point of Mount Bruce. This animated gif below, shows that point at various altitudes above my Hudson Island house.

I also discovered another potential option, which is an antennae pointed at the cellphone tower near Chemainus, and a signal-boosting ampliphier, like from these guys MagicWireless”, or these guys rfconnection or these guys powerteccanada.

The cell tower in Chemainus is located at the green marker:
And here’s the line-of-sight, which would need to start on Nick’s property (because my own property would be blocked by land).

Pertinent emails to this project: g.westmacott@shaw.ca tom.hilborn@gov.bc.ca
precid@shaw.ca (Cynthia Durance)

Nov 18, 2012 update. This update is a little late. A month ago no October’s long weekend, I was on the island, that tested out the new internet service we had gotten installed by Beacon Wireless from Salt Spring Island. It worked great! Very fast connection. So I wont need to run the underwater cable. A lot of money saved.