If you love lighthouses, then Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the place to visit. With 1,100 km (683.51 mi) of coastline, PEI has the highest concentration of light houses in North America. Canada’s smallest province, PEI is 224 km (139 mi) long and is surrounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait. Its rocky coastline and turbulent waters required light houses to aid in the navigation of ships. Loving light houses, I wanted to see as many as possible.
PEI has 63 lighthouses but only 35 are still active. Nine are heritage sites and seven are privately owned.
Traveling up the North Coast Drive, the first lighthouse we came to was Cape Egmont Lighthouse at Wellington Station. This lighthouse was built in 1884 and is still used today. It is a pyramid style, standing 40 ft. tall. In the picture you can see there are three windows on each side at each story. Its red top is surrounded by a rail so one can stand outside. It overlooks Northumberland Strait and Fishing Cove Harbor and is an important cultural landmark for the community.
Next, we came to West Point Lighthouse built in 1875. It is the tallest lighthouse on the island at 69 ft. It has a unique tapered square shape and is painted with large black and white stripes. This lighthouse includes a museum which tells the story of the community, the lightkeepers, and the history. This picture shows the lightkeepers house which has been turned into the museum.
On the way to North Cape, we passed Howards Cove Lighthouse in O’Leary. It is one of the smallest lighthouses, standing only 19 ft. tall. and is built in a wooden square pyramid style with a red lantern. It too faces the western shore.
Howards Cove Lighthouse
Next, we arrived at North Cape Lighthouse on the northernmost point of the island. This lighthouse was built in 1865 and sits along the longest and rockiest shoal in North America. It is 62 ft. tall and octagonal in structure. It sits adjacent to the North Cape Wind Energy Interpretive Center. PEI has numerous windmills along the Northern and Western shores.
The North Cape Lighthouse is one of three wood-framed lighthouses which are the oldest octagonal towers still standing in the Maritimes.
Two other lighthouses lie along this drive that we didn’t have time for: The Big Tignish and Indian Head Lighthouses. Big Tignish was built in 1881 and was relocated to Fisherman’s Haven Community Park in 2009. Like the North Cape Lighthouse, it is wood framed and octagonal. Indian Head is the third wood-framed octagonal lighthouse. It was built in 1881 at Summerside Harbor and includes a two-story keeper’s residence.
The next day we took the Central Coastal Drive. We spent much of our time looking at family graves so had less time for lighthouses. We started with the Victoria Seaport Lighthouse built in 1879. In Victoria by the Sea, it overlooks Victoria Harbor and the Northumberland Strait. This lighthouse is unique because it houses two lights. It is only 35 ft. tall and is in the pyramid style.
Next, we came to New London Lighthouse across the bay from Cavendish. Constructed in 1876, it stands 43.6 ft. tall and is a narrow two-story building. Still active today, it was designated a Heritage Place in 2012.
Port Borden Pier Lighthouse overlooks the Northumberland Strait and the Borden Harbor on the south shore of PEI. Built in 1917, it is 42 ft. tall. After it was decommissioned in 1997, it was relocated to the base of the 8-mile long Confederation Bridge. It is now a part of the Marine Rail Park in Borden. You can see the bridge behind the lighthouse
Another lighthouse on the Central Drive is the Malpeque Outer Range Rear Lighthouse built in 1897. The wooden tower is located in the middle of a privately-owned field so is not easily accessible.
The Third Coastal Drive is the Eastern Coastal Drive. We spent the least amount of time on this route and saw only two historic lighthouses: the Souris East Lighthouse and the East Point Lighthouse.
The Souris East Lighthouse is a three-story wooden structure, built in 1880. It was constructed on the eastern shore where the Souris River empties into the Northumberland Strait. Sitting on Knight’s Point, it overlooks Souris Harbor and Colville Bay and guides the ferries and other vessels between Souris and the Magdalen Islands. It is a square, pyramid tower with a fixed white light. The light stands 85 ft. above water. A keeper’s dwelling is attached. In 2011 it was designated a Heritage Place. You can climb to the top of this light house and even walk outside at the top. It is a museum. It was fun looking at the relics in the museum, though we did not climb to the top.
Heading out to the north-easternmost point of the island, we found the East Point Lighthouse. It is called Canada’s Confederation Lighthouse because it is the only remaining lighthouse built in 1867, the year the Confederation was born. It received this designation in 2016. The drive along the rocky coast to get to this point was exceptional.
The East Point Lighthouse is still active today; it is a five-story, colonial style building, standing 64 ft. It is situated where the Northumberland Strait meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It includes an on-site museum, showcasing the maritime history of Canada since 1867. You can climb the five stories, crammed with artifacts, including a huge collection of colorful buoys and lobster traps. It was fun to think that we had been from one point to the other of this beautiful island.
Many more lighthouses crowd the island, but there is only so much time. By finding the ones we could, we saw the different styles, colors, and locations of the buildings. It was interesting to learn of some of the keepers and what life was like for them. If you are a lighthouse enthusiast, PEI is the place to go.
Next week, we will learn about “bottle houses.”