Canada - Cape Forchu Lighthouse

Cape Forchu Lighthouse is located near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. It sets on a point reaching out into the Gulf of Maine. The first tower was built here in 1839, and the double story keepers dwelling was built in 1912. This tower is 75 ft tall and was built in 1962, then destaffed in 1993 due to automation. In 1996 the Friends of Yarmouth Light Society opened the 1912 keepers house to visitors, and restored the station grounds. At the time of my visit in 2001, there was a small museum in the keeper's house and a tea room in the assistant's. While I was there, I was privileged to meet a Mr. Smith who use to live in the lighthouse with his parents and seven brothers and sisters. He was eighteen years of age when his father became the Lighthouse Keeper, and he helped his father by working some of the night shifts. He told of seeing his father having to use an axe to chop ice away from the entrance door of the tower so they could get in. Mr. Smith showed me the room where he lived in the house as well as the rooms where his siblings lived. This lighthouse holds the distinction of being the last lighthouse in Nova Scotia that was tended by resident light-keepers. Of all the lighthouses I have seen and visited in Canada, this one was my favorite, due to the personal connection Mr. Smith had to this lighthouse and his father as Lighthouse Keeper.  

Canada - Bunker Island Lighthouse

The Bunker Island Lighthouse is located at Bunker Island in Yarmouth Harbor, Nova Scotia, Canada. It's better known by the locals as the "Bug Light". The first lighthouse built here in 1874 was a wood tower. The second lighthouse built in 1924, also made of wood, had the tower built on top of the dwelling. The Keeper, his wife, six children, and two dogs occupied the dwelling. The third lighthouse shown here was built of concrete in 1959. At the time of my visit in 2001 this was an active lighthouse, and as depicted above, it has a red light.

Canada - Fort Point Lighthouse

The Fort Point Lighthouse is located at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was built in 1855. This very distinctive "hunchbacked" lighthouse marked Liverpool's inner harbor until it was turned off in 1989. The lighthouse had a resident keeper until 1964. His duties included the sounding of a hand cranked fog horn in answer to vessel signals during thick weather. At the time of my visit in 2001 this was an inactive light. To preserve its history, the lighthouse and attached dwelling had been restored and turned into a museum.

Canada - Medway Head, Long Cove Lighthouse

The Original Medway Head, Long Cove Lighthouse was built in 1851 at the same location as the one shown on top. This lighthouse is located at Port Medway, Nova Scotia, Canada. The lighthouse in the top picture is the third to be built at this location. The second lighthouse, shown in bottom picture, was a two story dwelling with light. Eventually it was closed down as a lighthouse and moved across the road and used for the keepers dwelling only. The lighthouse shown at top replaced the two story dwelling and light. At the time of my visit in 2001, this was an active lighthouse.

Canada - Five Island Lighthouse

The Five Island Lighthouse was built in 1914 to guide mariners up and down the Minas Basin. It was located at Sand Point on Five Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. For many years the light used kerosene oil, then shortly before 1963 the oil lamp was taken out and replaced by a light bulb system. The bulb was powered by a battery located underneath the lens. This method continued until 1967 when electricity came to Sand Point. The light had always been a natural color, but while changing to electric the light was changed to red. The "pepper pot" light was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1993 and is an inactive light.
Due to frost, severe weather, and tides, most of the original land purchased for the lighthouse is gone, thus the lighthouse has been moved back several times from its original location. The last time being in 1996.
In the spring of 1996, the county of Colchester agreed to buy the lighthouse on Five Island for their community. At the time of my visit in 2001, the lighthouse was on the grounds of the Sand Point Beach Campground. It was open to the public from July thru August.

Canada - Coffin Island Lighthouse

Coffin Island Lighthouse is located on Beach Meadows, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was the first lighthouse built on Liverpool Bay's Coffin Island but was the fifth one built in Nova Scotia. The first Coffin Island Lighthouse was built in 1812. At that time it was one of the earliest in service along with Sambro, Shelburne, and Brier Island. The first Coffin Island Lighthouse was built of wood, stood 75-feet high, and the tower was octagonal in shape. It was painted with horizontal red and white stripes. The first revolving light in Nova Scotia was housed in that lighthouse. The light could be seen for up to 15 miles away during good conditions. The old lighthouse was struck by lightning in 1913 and burned to the ground along with the keeper's house and out buildings.
The lighthouse in this picture was built in 1914 and made of concrete. Although smaller, it was built only a short distance from where the previous lighthouse was located. At the time of my visit in 2001, this lighthouse was inactive and threatened by the encroaching sea. The 87-year old tower (in 2001) was being preserved by the Coffin Island Heritage Society.

Canada - Cape d' Or Lighthouse

The Cape d' Or Lighthouse is located at Advocate Harbor, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was built in 1922 and is situated on a rocky projection of land that extends into the Minas Channel with sheer clifts rising 500 ft behind it. This is one of the most spectacular located lighthouses in the province. The light was manned until 1989, then was deactivated. The lighthouse now serves as a restaurant and bed-and-breakfast. It was the only one in Nova Scotia at the time of my visit in 2001. Visitors could walk down to the lighthouse, or enjoy the hiking trails along the cliff edge above it. The water just beyond the lighthouse, known as the Dory Rips, is almost always turbulent with the violent meeting of the currents from the Minas Basin and the Bay of Fundy. If you click on the picture above, you can see detail of these current.

Canada - Spencer's Island Lighthouse

The Spencer's Island Lighthouse was built in 1904, and is located on Spencer's Island at Nova Scotia, Canada. At the time of my visit in 2001, this active light was maintained by folks in the community.