From atop Pointe-au-Père lighthouse, the St. Lawrence appears even more magnificent than at ground level. On the shore of what is considered one of the most difficult waterways to navigate, the Pointe-au-Père navigational aid station has provided the best pilots to take charge of ships sailing between North America and Europe, making it a vital site. As well, it was also off Pointe-au-Père that the grand cruise ship, the Empress of Ireland, tragically sank in 1914.
Keepers from every corner
During the Heritage Places Days, from 8 July 2023, let yourself be guided by the stories of lighthouses and the families who have occupied them. These familiar landmarks have a lot to tell!
The origins of the first families of lighthouse keepers in the St. Lawrence Estuary are as diverse as its landscape. The first keeper of the Cap Gaspé lighthouse in Forillon National Park was Charles Esnouf. This Jersey native was hired in 1873. His son, Charles D. Esnouf, then occupied the post until 1893. In the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Placide Vigneau and his son Hector, of Acadian descent, both kept the lighthouse on Ile-aux-Perroquets from 1892 to 1948. On the other side of the river, at Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site, Thomas M. Wyatt and his son Robert W. did the same (circa 1918 to 1936). Of English origin, they would also have had ancestors in Labrador, in the Forteau Bay area, where generations of Wyatts kept the Point Amour lighthouse as of 1879.
From the West Coast to the Maritimes, lighthouse keepers’ houses are often true family residences, even if they are publicly owned. It’s reassuring to have your loved ones around when you live on isolated islands or coasts, no matter where you come from.
Which lighthouse would you live near with your family?
Discover designated heritage lighthouses in Canada
