Inscription
Au service de la poste royale
Le phare de Pointe-au-Père doit son origine à la poste. En 1856, la Montreal Ocean Steamship Company obtient le contrat de transport du courrier entre Londres et Montréal. Ses propriétaires, les frères Allan, décident de maintenir leur propre équipe de pilotes à Pointe-au-Père, déjà fréquentée par les pilotes locaux. Le plat relief de la côte et l'absence de repères par mauvais temps incitent la compagnie de navigation à construire un phare équipé d'un feu et d'un signal de brume.
Une idée qui s'enracine
La Montreal Ocean Steamship Company construit son phare en 1859. Le gouvernement s'en porte acquéreur deux ans plus tard. Ce phare brûle le 23 avril 1867. On en construit aussitôt un deuxième du même modèle. Le bâtiment sera converti en maison des pilotes quelque 40 ans plus tard, après la construction du troisième phare, puis sera démoli en 1966. Les vestiges de ces deux premiers phares sont enfouis de l'autre côté de la rue du Phare.
[Illustrations, en haut à gauche, dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, lisez]
· Un bateau portant l'inscription Allan Line Royal
Mail Steamships, accosté au quai de la compagnie dans le port de Montréal, vers 1890.
· Le deuxième phare au début du 20e siècle. Les premiers phares de Pointe-au-Père sont des maisons en bois surmontées d'une tour abritant la lanterne. Le gardien habite les étages inférieurs.
· Aquarelle représentant le deuxième phare, vers 1885-1889.
In service to the Royal Mail
The Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse owes its existence to the postal service. In 1856, the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company secured a contract to carry the mail between London and Montreal. Its owners, the Allan brothers, decided to use their own team of pilots based at Pointe-au-Père, where local pilots were already operating. The shoreline's flat topography and absence of landmarks for navigation in bad weather convinced the shipping company to erect a lighthouse equipped with a light and foghorn.
An idea that took hold
The lighthouse built by the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company in 1859 was acquired by the government two years later. It burned down on April 23, 1867, and was promptly replaced by a second, identical structure. The building was converted into a residence for pilots some 40 years later, after a third lighthouse was built, then demolished in 1966. The foundations of these first two lighthouses lie on the other side of Rue du Phare.
[Illustrations, clockwise from top left, read]
· A boat belonging to Allan Line Royal Mail Steamships docked at the company wharf in the Port of Montreal, circa 1890.
· The second lighthouse at the dawn of the 20th century. The first lighthouses of Pointe-au-Père were wooden structures mounted atop towers equipped with lanterns, with living space for lightkeepers on the lower floors.
· Watercolour of the second lighthouse, circa 1885-1889.
Details
| HM Number | HM2DEF |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 at 7:01pm PST -08:00 |
Pictures
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 19U E 539245 N 5373986 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 48.51776667, -68.46855000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 48° 31.066', W 68° 28.113' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 48° 31' 3.9599999999999" N, 68° 28' 6.78" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling West |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 1028 Rue du Phare, Rimouski Québec G5M 1L8, CA |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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