In 1734, the first Canadian lighthouse went into service at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. Since then, lighthouses have guided thousands of ships to safe harbor.
In 1734, the first Canadian lighthouse went into service at Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island. It was constructed on an outcrop of rock on the point. It guarded the eastern side of the entrance to Louisbourg Harbor. Since that time, three more lighthouses have been erected in the same spot.
Construction of the first Louisbourg lighthouse began in 1730. Though the tower was completed in `1733, a delay in the completion of the lantern left the lighthouse inoperable until April 1934.
Cod oil was used as fuel for the lantern. The light was 70 pieds high. The fuel basin was one metre across and 25 cm deep. A cork floated a copper ring, which contained 31 copper pipes soldered at intervals. Every pipe contained a cotton wick. The light could be seen for 18 miles if the weather was clear.
Louisbourg lighthouse operated from April 1st to December 31st each year. It was a profitable lighthouse as duty was collected from the ships that entered Louisbourg Harbor. In 1736, tragedy struck. A fire destroyed the lantern portion of the lighthouse. Ships were warned away from the rocky point using coal and wood.
A new lantern was designed. To prevent fire, a large oil reservoir was used. Wicks were further apart. Masons erected 6 stone pillars, which supported a brick roof lined with lead. Window frames were constructed of iron. The new lantern began operation in July 1738. It was 73 pieds 6 pounces high. The lightkeeper was a retired serviceman from Fort Louisbourg. It is believed the lighthouse was damaged during a siege in 1758. It was not repaired at that time.
Eighty-four years later in 1842, a new lighthouse was constructed at Louisbourg. The lighthouse keeper's residence was built into the lighthouse. This new light was eight-sided, 10 feet in diameter and glazed with a large number of 17 x 11-foot panes of glass. The lantern had four circular lamps with 20-inch reflectors and five lamps with 12-inch reflectors. The lighthouse is reported to have burned 530 gallons of oil annually.
The lighthouse, which stands at the entrance of Louisbourg Harbor today, was constructed in 1923, after the 1842 lighthouse was destroyed by fire. This lighthouse was built by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and remains their property. This light was built using reinforced concrete. The light, which still warns ships away from the rocky point, is automated.
The Louisbourg lighthouse was designated as a "Recognized Heritage Property" by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office because of its historical significance. It sits on the site of the first Canadian lighthouse. The plans for this lighthouse have only been used at Louisbourg and George's Island lighthouse. The tapered octagon shape of the Louisbourg lighthouse has classic detail and looks much like the original light.
In 1760, the Sambro Island lighthouse was built at the entrance to Halifax Harbor. It has been renovated and upgraded during its 200 years of operation. It is the oldest operating lighthouse in North America. It was built four years prior to the Sandy Hook lighthouse in New Jersey. It preceded Montauk Point lighthouse in New Jersey, Virginia's Cape Henry lighthouse and Maine's Portland Head lighthouse by three decades.
In 1788, Shelburne, Nova Scotia was a boomtown. It was the largest settlement of United Empire Loyalists in North America. At this time, a lighthouse was erected at Cape Roseway, which at the time was McNutt's Island. The lighthouse was octagon in shape and had a masonry tower. The exterior was clapboard and it was braced with wooden timber. The Cape Roseway light was hit by lightning in 1959. It was completely destroyed.
In 1839, numerous shipwrecks led to the erection of the lighthouses at both ends of St. Paul Island on Cape Breton Island. In 1914, the lighthouse at the south end of the island burned. A cylinder tower of cast iron replaced it. The light at the north end of the island was replaced in 1970.
The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove, St. Margaret's Bay is a favorite tourist destination. I've stood on the rocks surrounded by a veil of fog as ten-foot breakers crashed down upon the rocky shore. It is an awesome experience. The light is a white octagon concrete tower that is 50 feet high. It is located at Peggy's Cove on the east side of the entrance to St. Margaret's Bay.
The Peggy's Cove lighthouse is the most photographed light in the world. It is said that an early settler of the area, Peggy, was the only survivor of a shipwreck. Whether the lighthouse was erected for Peggy or whether it was named for some other purpose remains a mystery. Best known as the "Peggy's Cove Light," its official name is Peggy's Point Lighthouse. The first light on this site was erected in 1868 to warn ships away from the rocky point.
The first lighthouse at Peggy's Cove was a high wooden tower, which was built on top of the lightkeeper's dwelling. It was a red light and the reflector was a round silver-plated mirror that magnified the kerosene lamp. A strong, octagon, concrete tower replaced this structure in 1915. This light sits 50 feet west of the original light. The new light is white. In 1969, the iron lantern on the top of the structure was painted red.
If you visit the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove, be extremely careful if venturing out on the rocks. Many visitors have been injured and killed because of the treacherous rocks. They are extremely slippery when wet. Savor the sea from a distance.
In the early days, Nova Scotia's lighthouses were fueled by cod, whale and seal oil. These oils were highly flammable. Many of the early wooden lighthouses were destroyed by fire. Around the middle of the 20th Century, Dr. Abraham Gesner developed kerosene. Though it too was highly flammable many of the lighthouses began using it as fuel. Cod, whales and seals were no longer hunted in large numbers to ensure the warning beacons had an unlimited supply of fuel.
Lighthouses are part of Nova Scotia's historical heritage. Hundreds still warn ships of rocky shores and underwater hazards. They have been a part of this Maritime Province since the 18th Century and will continue to flash their warning beacons to bring sailors safely home for generations to come.
