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Lighthouses of Atlantic Canada - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador: A Pictorial Guide

By  Courtney Thompson

CatNap Publications - 128 pages

Cost: $29.95

Softcover

ISBN 0-9651786-7-6 

Seeing Red!

reviewed by Ronnie Scullion

Boldly painted structures fill the pages of this comprehensive guide - "Lighthouses of Atlantic Canada". It is a 'pictorial' guide and true to its name, paints a vibrant portrait of the many lighthouse structures rimming the coastlines of the four maritime provinces.

Most of the lights are decked in wide stripes of "fire engine" red set on white. The stripes are oriented horizontally or vertically, while some structures sport a plain white 'skirt' with a red 'cap'. The bright, bold patterning renders the lighthouses visible at distances and through a permeable fog. A few like the West Point Light on Prince Edward Island have had the red bands painted over in black, to stand out more against the spectacular sunsets of the area.

Thompson offers her audience a brief historical overview of lighthouse
construction and it's relative importance to the four maritime provinces. Detailed maps coupled with textual directions give the locations and access routes to the featured lighthouses. The maps and documentary photos are supplemented by a fine and extensive collection of photographs taken by former lightkeeper Chris Mills and some scenic shots of Newfoundland lights by photographer Wanda Barrett.

Nova Scotia, informs Thompson, has led the way -- the first Canadian
lighthouse built on its shores by the French in 1731 at Louisburg. This short-lived structure, destroyed first by fire and subsequently by cannon blast, was rebuilt on Sambro Island, where it remains today fully operational, making it the oldest continuously working lighthouse in North America.

The Coffin Island Lighthouse, Queens County, Nova Scotia one of the many spectacular photos found in Lighthouses of Atlantic Canada.

Each lighthouse presented gives a snapshot of the prevailing styles of their times and locale -- from the "old world" granite towers of the 18th and 19th centuries followed by tapering wooden constructs to the twentieth century concrete structures.

Thompson completes her expose of  lighthouses by outlining the present day efforts to conserve and restore many of these buildings. Again Nova Scotia plays a leadership role with the formation of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society. The group offers
resources, including an interpretive centre and library, as well as,
offshore excursions. The efforts of the various community groups and individuals are well documented and duly acknowledged. The restoration of the last remaining granite lighthouse in Newfoundland -- the Old Rose Blanche -- is splendidly showcased and completes the
pictorial tour.

The book is handsomely presented with large format pictures in a
softcover binding, making it both an attractive and economical acquisition to any personal library, while a suitable tribute to the maritime heritage of the Atlantic provinces.

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