Jerseyman Island

Jerseyman Island was named after the Jersey traders who had established fishing posts there in the late 1700’s. The lighthouse at Jerseyman Island was established in 1872 and is located at the northwest entrance to Arichat. The first keeper was Charles Boudrot. After storm damage in 1873, cable stays and cribwork were added to the lighthouse. The original light station consisted of a tower, with a small dwelling attached and a shed. The dwelling was expanded in 1895. Otherwise everything remained as it was until 1950 when a new lighthouse and dwelling were built. In 1978 Jerseyman Island Light was destaffed. The dwelling was declared surplus in 1980 and sold. It was floated to Arichat and is now a private dwelling. The lighthouse remained in place until early in the summer of 2017 when it was demolished. A new modular aluminum-framed lighthouse was erected there in September of that year.

Lightkeepers at Jerseyman Island:
Charles Boudrot July 1872 - Sept. 1873
Simon Babin Sr Sept. 1873 - Sept. 1877
Simon Babin Jr Dec. 1877 - March 1883
Georges Vigneau March 1883 - May 1905
Alphonse Theriault May 1905 - January 1931
Joseph Martell Jan. 1931 - March 1931
Irving Latimer April 1931 - Sept. 1955
Abel LeBlanc Sept. 1955 - Nov. 1978

GRANDIQUE POINT

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The first lighthouse, a pole light, was established at Grandique in 1884. After the opening of the St. Peter's Canal, Lennox Passage saw an increase in marine traffic. For safety reasons, lighthouses were established along the route. The first keeper was Daniel Clough. Due to erosion at the Grandique spit of land, the pole light was moved in 1900 and in 1906 a proper lighthouse was built. Storm damage caused the Grandique Point lighthouse to be moved for a second time. In the winter of 2010, the lighthouse was moved to its present location. Grandique Point Lighthouse is located within Lennox Passage Provincial Park in Martinique on the north side of Isle Madame.
The last lightkeeper at Grandique was Stanley Forgeron who took over in 1960. In 1961 Forgeronbecame a caretaker as the light was delisted.

Lightkeepers at Grandique Point:
Daniel Clough 1884-1908
D A Kaulbach 1908-1909
C A Kaulbach 1909-1919
Charles Shannon 1909-1923
John Doiron
Henry Young
Melvin Shannon 1939-1960
Stanley Forgeron 1960-1961/1961-1968
(caretaker)

Cap la Ronde Lighthouse

The Cap la Ronde Lighthouse was established in 1874. It stood on a cape overlooking Lennox
Passage, the Bay of Rocks and St. Peter’s Bay. The lighthouse at Cap la Ronde was in an excellent spot to guide mariners into St. Peter’s Bay, which led in turn into the Bras d’Or Lake. The light station consisted of the tower with an attached dwelling, as well as an outbuilding. Charles Lattimore was the first light keeper. In 1950 the original lighthouse was removed and replaced by a tower on top of a shed. Cap la Ronde Light was destaffed in 1966. Now there is only a lighted buoy as a marking.

Cap la Ronde Lightkeepers:
Charles Lattimore Dec. 1874 - April 1899
John Mauger May 1899 - 1928
Edwin Poirier 1928 - 1938
Alphonse Samson 1938 - 1966

Marache Point Light

The first lighthouse on Isle Madame was built after a petition was sent to the legislature requesting a lighthouse. This was denied, and as a result, local people were given permission to construct one themselves in 1849. The Commissioner of Lighthouses deemed this one unacceptable, resulting in a grant being provided to upgrade the building in 1851. The first light keeper was Joseph Coste. This was still a small building with no space for a keeper to live there. By 1869 a larger lighthouse with space for accommodations was constructed. It was not until 1949 that the lighthouse station was rebuilt. A separate house was included along with a boathouse and a shed. In 1970 the lighthouse was destaffed; it was the only building to remain. All other station buildings were declared surplus and put up for sale. The keeper’s house is now a private dwelling in Arichat. In December 2027, the lighthouse was demolished. A modular aluminum-framed building was brought in by road in January 2018. This lighthouse looks like the original pepper pot lighthouse that preceded it.

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Marache Point Lightkeepers
Joseph Coste 1851 - July 1975
Christopher DeCoste July 1875 - October 1898
William Lavashe October 1898 - 1918
Michael McGrath 1918 - 1928
Jeffrey LeBlanc 1929 - 1950
Harry LeBlanc 1950 - May 1970

GREEN ISLAND

The Green Island lighthouse was established in 1865, the first coastal light to be placed between Louisbourg and the Gut of Canso. It is located to the southeast of Petit de Grat Island. The first station consisted of a combined lighthouse and dwelling, a storey and a half building with the light at one end. In 1927, this was replaced by a two-storey building with the light in the centre of the roof. In 1963 the light was changed from an oil vapour lamp to a diesel generated light. In 1967 a skeleton steel tower with an enclosed fibreglass stairwell was constructed. The station now consisted of a two-storey dwelling, a second smaller dwelling and a third bungalow as well as a fog alarm building, oil stores building, a boat house and the lighthouse. A new round fibreglass tower was installed in 1986 and is still on the island today. Green Island Lighthouse was destaffed in 1986.

Lightkeepers are listed below. As Green Island was somewhat remote from Isle Madame, and the light had to be shining for 24 hours a day, there needed to be assistant keepers to insure that the light was always lit. It is interesting to note that the job of light keeper was often passed along in families. Note the three Duanns. As well, Amédée Boudreau, Conrad Landry and Gary Landry are all members of the same family.

Green Island Lightkeepers:
Patrick Duann (1865-1871)
William Duann (1871-1902)
William A Duann (1902-1912)
Edward E Boudreau (1912-1923)
Harry T Boudreau (1923-1932)
Amédée Boudreau (1932-1952)
Conrad Landry (1932-1982)
Valdor Boudreau (1982)
Gary Landry (1982-1986)

Crichton Head Lighthouse

Crichton Head Lighthouse, the first lighthouse to be established in the West Arichat area, was constructed in 1873. In the Great August Gale of August 24, 1873, the lighthouse was blown over and had to be rebuilt in 1874. Stays were added to make the structure more secure. Crib protection was needed at the water's edge from the time the lighthouse was built. Crichton Head Light was named after the island on which the lighthouse was located: Crichton Island
Lightkeepers of Crichton Head

Henry Hatton Crichton (1874-1921)
Clement Cutler (1921-1922)
Robert Poirier (1922-1958)
Herman Gerroir (1958-1960)
Curtis Babin (1960-1961)