In light of the past

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The first lighthouse in this country, a stone tower built at Louisbourg in 1733, was lit by a circle of oil-fed wicks carried in a glazed wooden chamber atop a 20-metre column. It offered a dangerous occupation for loyal and dedicated employees.

In the mid-1920s, there were more than 800 lighthouse structures scattered across Canada. The official count of light stations on Canada's shores today is only 262, of which 60 are still staffed.

In the modern world of navigating by satellite, sailors no longer need lighthouses to warn them of the indomitable sea or to guide them home. Fully automated solar-powered lights and foghorns are highly reliable. And modern commercial vessels rely on electronic navigation systems, such as Differential Global Positioning Systems. Some Global Positioning Systems are even available in hand-held systems at low cost.

As a result, many lighthouses are being preserved as tourist attractions, reminders of a time when Canada's mariners were kept safe by the lonely keepers of the lighthouse flame.