The three buildings on this site represent a "family" and all were once navigational aids. The lighthouse beacon is still maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard as part of the marine communication system used by ship traffic in the Northumberland Strait.
The two smaller structures are called "range lights'" and have been retired from service
since the 2007 when electric harbour lights on steel poles replaced them. Prior to that
time, the range lights were situated on the east side of the lighthouse point before being
moved in 1941 to the steel pier entrance to the Wood Islands Ferry terminal. As vessels approached the terminal, the deepest part of the channel was identified by a sight line alignment of the inner and outer range lights. The shorter range located farthest from shore, was called the "outer range light" and the taller one closest
to shore, was called the "inner range light". Some ranges were equipped with lights and fog horns and in some cases, a red vertical stripe that faced the open water.
In 2012, maintenance repairs to the steel pier required the now obsolete range lights
to either be moved or destroyed. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Coast Guard, the
provincial governmentand the Wood Islands Community Development Corporation,
the range lights at Wood Islands have been
moved and preserved as part of
our community museum.
Comments 0 comments