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The Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, has announced the designation of the Cape George Lighthouse in Nova Scotia and the Annandale Rear Range Lighthouse in Prince Edward Island as heritage lighthouses under Canada’s Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.
The Cape George Lighthouse, located at St. Peter’s in Nova Scotia, is a charming, two-story square cone-shaped, wooden tower with a gallery on it and covered by a square red metal lantern. It is 8.2 meters in its height and located on a pebble beach, overlooking the largest part of Bras d’Or Lake and is a famous landmark for sailors.
The Cape George Lighthouse was built in 1950 to replace the original lighthouse built in 1875. It is a famous landmark in St. Peter’s Bay where sailors sail from the coast of Bras d’Or Lake. It has a long lighting tradition. The Murray family has been dedicated to lighting for 94 years until it was automated in 1969. About an hour’s drive from Sydney, Nova Scotia, this isolated lighthouse has remained largely unchanged, enhancing the local maritime character of its rural environment.
Located in Annandale in Prince Edward Island, the Annandale Rear Range Lighthouse is a beautiful cone-shaped wooden tower that guides ships from the Northumberland Strait into the Barton River. It is 19.8 meters high and the highest range lighthouse on Prince Edward Island. The lighthouse is consolidated by its remote environment and long lighting tradition. It enhances the coastal marine environment and remains an important symbol of their community.
The Annandale Rear Range Lighthouse was built in 1901 to replace the original 1898 lighthouse, which was destroyed by strong winds in 1900. Its unusually height and slender profile make it the tallest spotlight on Prince Edward Island. Although now decommissioned, the lighthouse is still treasured by the Annandale community on the east side of Juniper Point. It is about an hour’s drive from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Annandale Rear Range Lighthouse
With these two new designations, a total of 102 lighthouses in 8 provinces are now protected under the Canada’s Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. They include some of the most important lighthouses in architecture and history in some provinces including Triple Island in British Columbia, Île du Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie in Quebec, and Cape Spear in Newfoundland and Labrador. They are precious symbols of the maritime heritage in Canada.
The Government of Canada is continually working closely with community groups and other government agencies to promote the naming of heritage lighthouses and to ensure the protection of these lighthouses for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced the designation in accordance with the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act based on the recommendations of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act was enacted in 2010 to protect lighthouses with significant heritage value owned by the federal government. The Act protects the heritage characteristics of designated lighthouses and requires reasonable maintenance.
