Rocky Point, Prince Edward Island – The presence of a lighthouse has long represented protection and safe haven, providing mariners and coastal communities with a reassuring beacon of security and comfort. Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Blockhouse Point Lighthouse under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.
The Blockhouse Point Lighthouse is a 12.8 metres (42 feet) tall, square-tapered wooden tower lighthouse with an attached two-storey lightkeeper’s residence. The lighthouse was built in 1876 as part of a federal program to improve maritime safety by erecting a network of coastal lighthouses. Blockhouse Point Lighthouse guides ships and mariners safely through the Northumberland Strait.
Situated prominently in Rocky Point at the west entrance of Charlottetown Harbour on Prince Edward Island’s south shore, it serves as a central feature and focal point of the area. Constructed during a period of great economic growth and prosperity in Canada and Prince Edward Island, the lighthouse supported the economic development of Charlottetown.
With this new designation, 112 lighthouses in eight provinces have now been protected under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. They include some of the country’s most architecturally and historically significant lighthouses, including the Fisgard Lighthouse in British Columbia, the Île du Pot à l’Eau-de-Vie in Quebec, and Point Amour in Newfoundland and Labrador, which are treasured symbols of our country’s maritime heritage.
The Government of Canada continues to work in close collaboration with community groups, Indigenous Peoples, and other levels of government to facilitate the designation of heritage lighthouses and ensure their protection for the benefit and enjoyment for generations to come. Designations under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act are made by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
(Dreamstime panoramic photo of Blockhouse Point Lighthouse)
