Point Amour Lighthouse
| Point Amour Lighthouse | ||
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| Place: |
 Canada , L'Anse Amour
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| Location: | Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada | |
| Geographical location: | 51 ° 27 '37.7 " N , 56 ° 51' 29.4" W | |
| Fire carrier height : | 109 ft (33.2 m ) | |
| Fire height : | 152 ft (46.3 m ) | |
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| Identifier : | Oc.W.20s | |
| Optics: | Fresnel lens | |
| Construction time: | 1854-1857 | |
| Operating time: | since 1858 | |
| International ordinal number: | H 0114 | |
Point Amour Lighthouse is the second tallest lighthouse ( English Lighthouse ) in Canada and the tallest in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It stands on the headland of the same name , at the narrowest point of the Belle Isle Road .
history
The Belle Isle Strait, dangerous due to ice drift and tidal currents, gained importance for transatlantic sea connections with the start of regular steam shipping . For a safer navigation in this strait , a lighthouse was commissioned by the then province of Canada , the construction of which began in 1854 under the direction of François Baby. The limestone for the tower and the residential building came from neighboring quarries , but the remaining building material had to be transported by schooners from Québec to L'Anse au Loup and from there to the construction site by horse and cart . In the summer of 1857 the tower and the house for the beacon keepers were completed.
In the following years more buildings were added: in 1875 a shed for whale oil , in 1904 a wireless radio station , in 1907 a storage shed and a fog horn, and in 1954 and 1967 an additional residential building.
The beacon was first put into operation in the spring of 1858. It was initially operated with whale oil, then with petroleum and today it is electrically operated. The original second order Fresnel lens is still in use. The beacon has been automated since 1995.
The Heritage Research Center , a center for researching regional natural and cultural heritage, has been located in the outbuildings since 2006 . Not far from the lighthouse, the archaeological site of L'Anse Amour Site was discovered in 1974 .
Web links
- Point Amour Lighthouse. Labrador Straits Historical Development Corporation, accessed August 21, 2016 .
- Point Amour Lighthouse. Labrador Coastal Drive, accessed August 21, 2016 .
- Chris Mills: Point Amour Light. Lighthouse Digest, accessed on August 21, 2016 .