Point Amour Lighthouse facts for kids
| Location | L'Anse Amour Newfoundland and Labrador Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°27′38″N 56°51′30″W / 51.46049°N 56.85835°W |
| Year first constructed | 1854-1858 |
| Automated | 1960s |
| Construction | limestone covered with brick and clapboard tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower with a horizontal black band, red dome |
| Height | 125 feet |
| Focal height | 46 metres (151 ft) |
| Range | 18 nautical miles |
| Characteristic | Fl W 20s. |
| Fog signal | 1 blast every 30s. |
The Point Amour Lighthouse stands tall on the coast of Forteau Bay. You can find it in L'Anse Amour, a small community in southern Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
This amazing lighthouse was finished in 1857. It's the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in all of Canada! It stands about 109 feet (33 meters) high.
Contents
Why Was the Lighthouse Built?
The Point Amour Lighthouse was one of four lighthouses built in the 1850s. They were needed to make ocean travel safer for the many steamships sailing between Europe and North America.
How Was the Lighthouse Built?
The lighthouse tower is shaped like a cylinder. It's made from strong limestone and painted white with a black stripe around it. The limestone came from nearby quarries.
Other building materials, like wood and bricks, were harder to get. They had to be shipped all the way from Quebec to L’Anse au Loup. From there, they were brought four miles to the lighthouse construction site.
Point Amour Lighthouse is part of a group called the Imperial Towers. It is now a Provincial Historic Site, which means it's an important historical place.
What Else Was at the Site?
The part of the lighthouse where the keepers lived was also finished in 1857. It has been updated and now serves as a museum.
The site also used to have a Marconi Station. This was a place for sending and receiving radio messages. Today, only the foundations of that station remain.
How Does the Light Work?
The lighthouse uses a special second order Fresnel lens. This lens helps make the light very bright and focused. The light shines from about 152 feet (46 meters) above sea level.
In 1996, the lighthouse became automatic. This means it no longer needed a person to operate it all the time. The light shines for 16 seconds, then pauses for 4 seconds. There is also a fog signal that can sound from a separate building when it's foggy.
Lighthouse Keepers
For many years, dedicated people called lighthouse keepers lived and worked at Point Amour. They made sure the light was always shining to guide ships safely.
| Lightkeepers | Time |
|---|---|
| John Blampied | 1857-1869 |
| Pierre Godier | 1869-1879 |
| Matthew Wyatt | 1879-1889 |
| Thomas Wyatt | 1889-1919 |
| Jeff Wyatt | 1919-1963 |
| Milton Elliott | 1963-1969 |
| Max Sheppard | 1969-1995 |
In the 1960s, the lighthouse became automated. This meant that machines took over the job of keeping the light on. The last lighthouse keeper left in 1995.
See also
- List of lighthouses in Newfoundland and Labrador
- List of lighthouses in Canada
