Lights in the darkness : Canadian Geographic Magazine November/December 2001

NEWSLETTER

	In-depth

SHIPWRECKS IN NOVA SCOTIA

Lights in the darkness
A brief history of the icons that have kept sailors safe for centuries

For thousands of years, mariners struggling through rough seas and along uncertain coastlines have relied upon beacons of light to guide their way. Some of the earliest warning lights were bonfires maintained by priests on the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean. It is not surprising, then, that the first known lighthouse, dating from 280 BC, was the Lighthouse of Alexandria (also called the Pharos lighthouse), which had a bonfire blazing atop its marble-covered tower. The structure was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and at 137 metres, it was also the tallest structure on Earth at the time. The amazing architectural feat stood for 1,500 years before being destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century AD.

Romans invading England built a lighthouse in the southeast at Dover in the first century AD, and several more beacons were constructed in the following centuries. As the number of lighthouses along the coast grew, the light’s source and power also changed. The first lighthouses used wood or coal fires, but these gave way to assemblages of candles and eventually oil lamps and electricity. The power of the lighthouses was greatly increased by systems of lenses and prisms that concentrated the light into a more powerful beam.

Both the British and French built lighthouses after settling in what would become Canada to facilitate their safe passage, and some of those built in Nova Scotia figure among the oldest in North America. As one of the continent’s worst areas for shipwrecks over the past centuries, Nova Scotia’s lighthouse heritage is strong and storied. Here are some highlights:

Established by the French in 1734, Louisbourg Light was Canada’s first and North America’s second lighthouse (the first was the Boston Harbour Light in Massachusetts, est. 1716). During war between the French and British, the lighthouse was burned to its foundations in 1736. It was rebuilt several times, and the surviving tower was constructed in 1923-24

Begun in 1758 and lit in 1760, Sambro Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in North America.

The Sambro Lighthouse and the Cape Sable Lighthouse (est. 1861) are the only ones in the province to have full heritage protection from the federal government. Twelve others have been given partial protection.

Champlain dubbed the hazardous rocks at Seal Island "the Sea Wolves" in 1604, and this is the site of Nova Scotia’s second oldest surviving lighthouse. Also one of Canada’s oldest wooden lighthouses, the Seal Island Light (est. 1831) was founded largely through the efforts of a woman named Mary Hichens, who grew up with the tragedies of shipwrecks and even tended to the occasional survivor.

The third oldest surviving lighthouse in Nova Scotia is the Fort Point Lighthouse (est. 1855). It displays the history of the privateers who used Liverpool as their base during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

Located at the mouth of Halifax Harbour on McNabs Island, the Maugher’s Beach Light was originally built on top of an old army fort. It is sometimes called "our own Statue of Liberty" since it welcomes arriving vessels.

The Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse (est. 1868) is the most visited lighthouse in Canada, and the only one containing a post office.

Many other lighthouses also serve additional purposes besides aiding navigation. The original site of the Chebucto Head Light became a gun and search light battery during the Second World War. The Neil Harbour Light holds an ice cream shop and the Western Head Light acts as an Environment Canada weather station.

Nova Scotia has more lighthouses than any other Canadian province, numbering about 160 traditional-style lighthouses.

The province peaked with 260 staffed lighthouses in the 1920s.

Today, all of Nova Scotia’s lighthouses are automated. The last one to have a keeper was the Cape Forchu Lighthouse in Yarmouth, which was destaffed in 1993.

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