Designated Heritage Lighthouses

Name: Black Rock Point Lighthouse (established in 1868, current lighthouse built in 1978)
Location: Victoria County, Nova Scotia

The Black Rock Point Lighthouse is a 10.8 metre (35 feet) tall combined light tower and engine room with a square tower built into one corner. The current wooden lighthouse was constructed in 1978 and is the third installation on the site – the first was constructed in 1868. A seasonal fog horn is present on the grounds, activated by a small beacon located near the lighthouse. The light station is associated with Cape Breton’s industrial past, having guided shipments of coal and other goods from Sydney down through the calmer waters of the Bras d’Or Lakes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, it supports the local fishing industry and pleasure boaters.

This secondary coastal light services the entrance into the Great Bras d’Or Lakes channel from St. Anns Bay, on the eastern shore of rural Cape Breton Island. It is located 30 minutes from Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Name: Gillis Point Lighthouse (built in 1895)
Location: Gillis Point, Nova Scotia

The Gillis Point Lighthouse is an 11.3 metre (37 feet) tall, wooden, square tapered tower that sits on a narrow section of land stretching into the Bras d’Or Lakes in rural Cape Breton Island. Gillis Point Lighthouse is one of a small number of harbour lights established along the shores of the Bras d’Or Lakes in the late 19th century, and is associated with Cape Breton’s industrial past, having guided shipments of coal and other goods from Sydney down through the calmer waters of the Bras d’Or Lakes. The lighthouse is also noted for having been tended by one of the few female lightkeepers in Nova Scotia, Catherine MacLean, who was lightkeeper from 1916 until 1939. 

A cherished landmark by the local community, today the lighthouse serves mariners navigating the Bras D’Or Lakes system. It is located about an hour’s drive from Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Name: Green Point Lighthouse (built in 1883)
Location: Bay Roberts, Newfoundland & Labrador 

The Green Point Lighthouse is a 6.3 metre (20.7 feet) cylindrical, cast-iron tower with a red and white colour scheme, similar to many cast-iron lighthouses built in Newfoundland in the 1870s and 1880s. By the 19th century, the Port de Grave Peninsula had become a leading fishing, trading and commercial settlement. The lighthouse served both the inshore and Labrador fisheries, contributing to the growth of the local economy and surrounding communities. Today, Port de Grave continues to be one of the most active fishing ports in the province, and the lighthouse guides numerous tankers, ferries, fishing and cargo vessels, and recreational boaters.

A cultural symbol of the community, the lighthouse is located about an hour’s drive from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

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