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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Pointe Bonaventure Lighthouse, Bonaventure, Quebec

The Pointe Bonaventure Lighthouse sits on the West side of the Bonaventure River where it empties into Chaleur Bay in the South part of the Gaspe Peninsula. It is just East of the Town of Bonaventure, Quebec. The light, which dates to 1902 was originally at Pointe Échouerie and then moved to Pointe Bonaventure in 1907. The light was relocated to its current location in 2005. The light has been inactive since 1998 and is currently on the private property of a campground alongside the river, although access to the site is open. the light is a 7 1/2 metre tall wooden tower with gallery. Photos were taken in October 2017.



Cap d'Espoir Lighthouse, Percé, Quebec

The Cap d'Espoir Lighthouse is located on a point of land approximately 10 kilometres Southwest of the town of Percé on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The light, dating to 1939, is active and consists of a 14 metre tall concrete tower with gallery. There are two houses adjacent, one which was the former light keeper's house. These houses are available for vacation rental. There is also a utility shed directly adjacent to the tower. The site is privately owned. Photos taken in October 2017.





Cap Blanc Lighthouse, Percé, Quebec

The Cap Blanc Lighthouse is located on a point of land just West of the town of Percé on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It dates to 1915 and has been inactive since the mid to late 1990's. The light is a 7 metre tall concrete tower. Access is by walking through a local campsite and one should ask permission before entering the area. Photos taken in October 2017.




Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse, Cap-des-Rosiers, Quebec

The Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse is located on a point of land just Southeast of the village of Cap-des-Rosiers on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. The closest larger centre is the town of Gaspe to the West around a long inlet. The light, dating to 1858, is a 34 metre tall round limestone tower with gallery. It is the tallest lighthouse in Canada and one of the few stone towers found in Atlantic Canada. The light is active and managed by the Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse Historic Site Committee in conjunction with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It is classified as a Federal Heritage Building. Although it is a historic site and draws thousands of tourists each year, the fate of the light, which requires extensive repair, remains in limbo as of my visit in 2017. Photos taken in October 2017.



Pointe-à- la-Renommée Lighthouse L'Anse à Valleau, Quebec

The Pointe-à- la-Renommée Lighthouse is located on a cliff at the end of a point of land overlooking the Saint Lawrence in the Gaspe region of Quebec. It is at a location where the Gulf of Saint Lawrence begins to narrow to become the Saint Lawrence River. The Lighthouse is found 5 kilometres to the West of the village of L'Anse à Valleau. The site is also the site of an early Marconi (radio) station dating to 1904. The lighthouse itself dates to 1907 and has been inactive since 1975. In 1977 it was dismantled and removed and later reassembled in Quebec City near the Coast Guard Station. It was returned to its original site at Pointe-à- la-Renommée in 1997. The light consists of a 15 metre round cast iron tower and adjacent keepers house. the Marconi station is located directly to the West of the tower. It is open to the public in season however when I visited in early October 2017 only the grounds were open. Photos taken in October 2017.




Cap de la Madeleine Lighthouse, Rivière-la-Madeleine, Quebec

The Cap de la Madeleine Lighthouse is located on a point of land by the Saint Lawrence River near the village of Rivière-la-Madeleine in the Gaspe region of Quebec. The light, dating to 1907, is an 11 metre tall round cast iron tower with gallery. The original keeper's house was replaced by two other houses on the site in 1956. One of the houses is now a restaurant and the second a small museum. When I visited the site in October 2017, the museum was closed for the season and work was being done around the tower. One of the glass panels of the tower was replaced by plywood, but I could not determine how or when the damage had occurred. The site is very picturesque. Photos taken in October 2017.




La Martre Lighthouse, La Martre, Quebec

The La Martre Lighthouse is located on a hill in the village of La Martre, Quebec on the shore of the Saint Lawrence River in the Gaspe Region of Quebec. The light, dating to 1906, is active and the site is maintained by the village of La Martre. The light is a 19 metre tall red wooden tower with with a single vertical white stripe on the water side. There is an nearby keeper's house that is now a museum. The tower is open in season for tours, however was closed for the season on the day I was there, but was being used by a wedding party for photographs inside the gallery. Photos taken in September 2017.






Cap Chat Lighthouse, Cap Chat, Quebec

The Cap Chat Lighthouse is located on a point of land to the West of the village of Cap Chat in the Gaspe Region of Quebec. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Saint Lawrence River. The lighthouse dates to 1909. The light is a 13 metre tall wooden tower with gallery. The light remains active and the site is privately maintained. Although it was deactivated in 2007 it was later relit. The grounds include a keeper's house and several other buildings. To get to the light you must travel to a parking area by a campsite/resort and it is a short walk to the site. In season there is a fee for accessing the area. Photos taken in September 2017.




Matane Lighthouse, Matane, Quebec

The Matane Lighthouse is located in the town of Matane, Quebec, West of the Matane River. The town is located in the Gaspe region of Quebec. The light dates to 1906 but has been inactive since 1951 and it now serves as a tourist information centre for Matane. The light is a 20 metre round cast iron tower with an adjacent keeper's house. Photos were taken in September 2017.




Pointe Mitis Lighthouse, Métis-sur Mer, Quebec

The Pointe Mitis Lighthouse is located just West of the village of Métis-sur Mer in the coast area of the Gaspe region of Quebec. It is situated on a point of land and accessible only by a private road. When I visited the site in September 2017, the area around the lighthouse was fenced off and there was no access to the actual site. The lighthouse dates to 1909 and is a 21 metre tall concrete tower with an adjacent keeper's house. Light remains active. The site is now maintained by the village of Métis-sur Mer. Photos taken in September 2017.


Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse, Rimouski, Quebec

The Pointe-Au-Père Lighthouse is located just East of the city of Rimouski, Quebec on the Saint Lawrence River in the Bas-Saint-Laurent area of Quebec. The area is a National Historic Site and adjacent to the lighthouse is a museum dedicated to the ship Empress of Ireland whose sinking in 1914 remains the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history. There is also the adjacent, the HMCS Onondaga, a decommissioned 90 metre submarine. Also nearby is Hanger 14 with exhibits on what life was like in Quebec in 1914. The light itself is a concrete tower with eight buttresses, topped by a metal gallery and light.  The light is 33 metres tall (108 feet) and is one of the tallest lights in Canada. A light station was established on this site in 1859 and this tower dates to 1909. The light has been inactive since 1975 when it was replaced by a skeletal tower (which can be seen in the bottom two photos). That light is also now inactive. Photos taken in September 2017.




Petit Phare - Saint-Andre de Kamouraska, Parc de l'Ancien Quai, Saint-Andre, Quebec

This picturesque little lighthouse is a faux lighthouse and serves as an observation tower for the adjacent marsh. It is located on marshland by the Saint Lawrence River in the Bas-Saint-Laurent area of Quebec at the village of Saint-Andre.  The area around it is a park and nature preserve known as Parc de l'Ancien Quai. It is a nice spot to stop and enjoy the scenery and local wildlife. Photos taken in September 2017.