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).

The first lighthouse on the site, a wooden octagonal tower, was built in 1859 to guide boats through the difficult St. Lawrence River at a cost of $1,453.61. The Government of Canada purchased the lighthouse in 1861. The first lighthouse burnt down in a fire 13 April, 1867, and was replaced by a newer lighthouse the same year. The second lighthouse would remain as a residence and office on the site until being demolished in 1966.

The third lighthouse is tall, which makes it the second tallest in Canada. It is built in a characteristic shape, employing eight concrete buttresses to support a slender central cylinder. Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to Parks Canada in 1977. Improvements for the sake of conservation were made in 1979. 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

  • 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

  • List of lighthouses in Canada
  • Henri de Miffonis

References

  • Aids to Navigation Canadian Coast Guard
  • Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père