Phare de Pointe-au-Père
The Phare de Pointe-au-Père is a lighthouse in Pointe-au-Père (now incorporated into Rimouski ) in the province of Québec , Canada . It is located on the southern coast of the Estuary of the Saint Lawrence River .
The first lighthouse was built in 1859. In 1867 the second lighthouse, a brick square tower, was built. The current lighthouse is the third at this point and was completed in 1909. At almost 33 meters tall, it is the second tallest lighthouse in eastern Canada. The shape of the building is characteristic. The cylindrical shape of the tower itself uses eight buttresses made of concrete on the outside . In 1975 the lighthouse was taken out of service and replaced by a fully automatic lighthouse lamp on a nearby steel pillar.
Next to the lighthouse was a port facility with a railway connection and, until 1959, the pilot station for navigation between Rimouski and Québec . The place used to be called " Father's Point " in English .
The lighthouse and the surrounding buildings are protected as a historical building. The area and the lighthouse are now open to tourists as part of the Musée de la mer (Museum of the Sea), which, in addition to the history of the lighthouse and the pilot station, is also dedicated to the sinking of the Empress of Ireland that took place nearby .
Web links
- Site historique maritime de la Pointe-au-Père (French / English)
Coordinates: 48 ° 31 ′ 3 " N , 68 ° 28 ′ 7" W.