Seeing the Light

With a combined total of nearly 40,000 kilometres (roughly 25,000 miles) of coastline in the four provinces that make up Atlantic Canada, it's no wonder that an abundance of lighthouses can be found here. Often constructed on high ground, they serve as warnings of rocks, shoals or ledges that might prove deadly to passing vessels. Each beacon or lamp has its own distinct flash pattern, and along with it a distinctive look and a fog alarm that is unlike any other nearby. These three factors allowed mariners to pinpoint their exact location long before the advent of GPS. Canada's first lighthouse was constructed in 1734 at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia; today, of the country's several hundred light stations and lighthouses all but 51 are now unmanned.

While some modern lighthouses can be less than graceful, most of the region's lights are highly photogenic and are often found in areas that are dramatically beautiful. While a few are located on offshore islands and are difficult to reach, many are in highly accessible locations and some are open to the public. The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, even houses a post office with a special cancellation stamp that depicts the building itself; it's a very popular spot during the summer tourism season. It's even possible to stay at a bed & breakfast that's located in a lighthouse or lightkeeper's house, like those that can be found at Quirpon Island, NL; Cape Anguille, NL; Cape d'Or, NS. In Ferryland, just an hour or so south of St. John's, NL, Lighthouse Picnics provides picnic lunches on a coastal headland accessed by a scenic walking trail; icebergs or whales might just add to the ambiance here in June and early July! Lighthouses are a fitting symbol of Atlantic Canada, since so much of our history is closely linked with the sea and seafaring. Depicted here are the lighthouses at Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland (top), Point Amour, Labrador (middle) and Ferryland Head, Newfoundland (below).