Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse

The 3rd Pointe-Au-Père Lighthouse was built in 1909 in the city of Pointe-au-Père, near Rimouski, Quebec, Canada. This city was well known in naval circles as the location of the pilot station for the Bas-Saint-Laurent (lower St. Lawrence) zone. Pointe-au-Père has since been amalgamated into the larger city of Rimouski (2002).

Pointe-au-Père
Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse
Map
LocationRimouski
Quebec
Canada
Coordinates48°31′03″N 68°28′07″W / 48.51750°N 68.46861°W / 48.51750; -68.46861
Tower
Constructed1859 (first)
Constructionconcrete tower
Automated1975 Edit this on Wikidata
Height108 feet (33 m)
Shapesixteen-sided cylinder with eight buttresses tower
Markingswhite tower, red lantern and balcony
Heritageclassified federal heritage building of Canada Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1909 (current)
Deactivated1975
LensThird order Fresnel
Range22 nmi (41 km; 25 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
Official namePointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1974

The lighthouse is 108 feet (33 m) tall, which makes it the second tallest in eastern Canada. It is built in a characteristic shape, employing eight concrete buttresses to support a slender central cylinder.

It was replaced by an electronic lighthouse in 1975 and the site is now open for visitors as part of the Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père. The RMS Empress of Ireland shipwrecking is documented in the Empress of Ireland museum and you can also visit the first submarine open to the public in Canada, HMCS Onondaga (S73).

The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1974,[1] and is considered a unit of the national park system. However, visitor services are provided by the non-profit Point-au-Père Maritime Historic Site.

Keepers

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  • David Lawson 1859-1876
  • John McWilliams 1876-1893
  • John McWilliams 1893-1911
  • John Cahill 1912-1920
  • Thomas Matthew Wyatt 1920-1936
  • Charles Augustus Lavoie 1936-1964
  • Roger St. Pierre Lavoie 1964-1972
  • Armand Lafrance 1972-?

See also

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References

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  • Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Eastern Québec". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
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