Bouctouche Dune Lighthouse
Several years later, the Department of Marine decided that a light to mark the southern end of Bouctouche Dune was needed. The following extract from the department’s annual report provides details on the construction of the Bouctouche Bar Lighthouse.
A lighthouse on the southern extremity of Buctouche sand bar was put in operation on October 10, 1902. The lighthouse is a square wooden building, surmounted by a square wooden lantern rising from the middle of the cottage roof. The building and lantern are painted white. The lighthouse is 35 feet high from its base to the ventilator on the lantern, and is located on land 4 feet above high water mark
The light is fixed white dioptric, elevated 38 feet above high water mark, and visible 11 miles from all points of approach by water. The work was done by Mr. G.W. Palmer, of Kars, whose contract price for the building was $1,289.
In 1907, 375 feet of close pilework was put in place to protect the lighthouse from the encroaching sea, and the following year roughly 400 more feet of pilework were added and the boathouse was moved back to a safer position.
Irving Eco-Centre: La dune de Bouctouche was established by J. D. Irving, Limited to protect and restore the important sand dune that provides habitat for numerous shorebirds and other migratory birds.
A two-kilometre-long boardwalk allows visitors to observe the flora and fauna found on the dune without impacting the sensitive ecosystem.
. On December 18, 2019, Robert Gould noticed the Canadian Coast Guard was dismantling the lighthouse and took several photographs of the operation from his home roughly two miles away. The Coast Guard returned on January 7, 2020 and burned what must have been the wooden portion of the lighthouse.
This picture of the pieces of the new lighthouse waiting to be taken out to the lighthouse lighthouse site was taken on January 20, 2020, and two days later, the Coast Guard started placing the lighthouse out on Bouctouche Bar. The new lighthouse was activated at 19:40 on March 12, 2020.
Keepers: Jadus P. Cormier (1902 – 1916), Germain Perry (1916 – 1918), C. Richard (1918 – 1919), Germain Poirier (1919 – 1932), Arthur Poirier (1933), Alyre Maillet (1933), Edmond F. Maillet (1933 – 1957).
References
- Annual Report of the Department of Marine, various years.