View of Point Atkinson Lighthouse

Captain Vancouver named the Point Atkinson point after a friend. The Indians living there, he described as the tribe of Sk'iwitsut.
A first lighthouse was built in 1874. The surrounding area was purchased by the state in 1881 to protect the forest from deforestation so that the lighthouse is more visible against a dark background. The existing lighthouse built on hexagonal ground plan was built in 1912. In the same year, the surrounding forest was transferred to the young community of West Vancouver.
During the Second World War, a gun post was erected at Point Atkinson, including barracks for service, which should prevent enemy ships or submarines from passing through the Burrard Inlet. Two of these barracks are still preserved today.