Caribou Island Lighthouse sits on the uninhabited
Caribou Island in the eastern end of
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...
, south of
Michipicoten Island
Michipicoten Island is an island in Ontario, Canada, in the northeastern part of Lake Superior, about northwest of Sault Ste. Marie and southwest of Wawa, Ontario. At its closest point to mainland Ontario, the island is located about from t ...
. It lies entirely within the territorial waters of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
although only about three miles from the international border between Canada and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It is approximately long and approximately wide.
A dangerous reef stretches along the north and west shores of Caribou Island, and a shallow reef stretches beyond to the southwest to Caribou Island, lying only below the lake's surface. The unmanned lighthouse, which is owned by the Canadian Coast Guard, is located on a tiny adjacent island called Lighthouse Island a few hundred feet across and positioned west of the southern tip of the main island. When originally built, it was visible for and operated on a 30-second revolving cycle. Caribou Island is about off Agawa Bay on the east shore of the lake.
History
The present light was built in 1912 (station established 1886), flashes white every 15 seconds and is tall. It is a hexagonal concrete tower with six flying buttresses. The structure is painted white, while the lantern, gallery and watch room are red. The lighthouse is located on a small island southwest of Caribou Island itself and about north of the international border. It is only accessible by boat or floatplane via a shallow, rocky harbour on the east side, or by helicopter via a landing area on the north side.
Keepers
*R. May 1886 – 1887
*Charles James Pim 1887–1898
*Wilbrod O. Demers 1899–1906
*Antoine Boucher 1907–1912
*George W. Johnston 1912–1921
*J. George Penfold 1921–1922
*John W. Kennedy 1922–1928
*Charles N. McDonald 1928–1935
*Arthur W. Hurley 1935–1962
*Alfred Thibeault 1962–1964
*George Rutherford 1964–?
*Reg Dawson (at least 1968)
*Bert Hopkins
Lighthouses Friends
See also
* List of lighthouses in Ontario
*List of lighthouses in Canada
This is a list of lighthouses in Canada. These may naturally be divided into lighthouses on the Pacific coast, on the Arctic Ocean, in the Hudson Bay watershed, on the Labrador Sea and Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the St. Lawrence River watershed ...
*Henri de Miffonis
Henri de Miffonis (born Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis; May 24, 1882 – 1955) was a French-Canadian civil engineer. He specialized in the construction of lighthouses, and studied civil engineering at the University of Paris. In 1905, after obta ...
References
External links
Aids to Navigation
''Canadian Coast Guard''
{{authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1912
Lighthouses in Ontario
1912 establishments in Ontario