Nova Scotia is the province at the extreme southeastern corner of Canada. The southern and eastern parts of the province lie on a peninsula facing the Atlantic to the east and the Bay of Fundy to the west. Cape Breton Island lies to the northeast, separated from the main part of the province by the narrow Strait of Canso. The island faces Northumberland Strait on the southwest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the northwest, Cabot Strait to the north, the open Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Chedabucto Bay to the south. Cape Breton Island is nearly divided north to south by the intricate waterways of the Bras d'Or Lake, which is actually a small, brackish inland sea. At the south, the St. Peters Canal joins Bras d'Or Lake to the Atlantic. The island has a distinctive history: it was a French colony until 1763 and it was a British colony, separate from Nova Scotia, from 1784 to 1820. Some of the more remote lighthouses of the island are poorly known and no photos are available. Additional information and photos would be welcome. Rip Irwin's book, Lighthouses and Lights of Nova Scotia (Halifax: Nimbus Publishing, 2011) is an essential reference for understanding these lighthouses. Aids to navigation in Canada are maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard. In 2008, Parliament passed the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act to designate and protect historic lighthouses. In 2010, the Coast Guard declared the great majority of lighthouses to be surplus, and there is fear that this may lead to the disposal and possible destruction of many lighthouses. CCG numbers are from the Atlantic Coast volume of the List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume H of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 110.
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Inverness County Lighthouses
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![]() Mabou Harbour Light, Mabou Harbour, September 2011 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Dennis Jarvis |
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![]() Margaret Harbour Light, Margaret Harbour, September 2011 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Dennis Jarvis |
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Victoria County Lighthouses
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![]() St. Paul Island South Point Light, Dingwall, September 2011 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Dennis Jarvis |
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Cape Breton Regional Municipality Lighthouses
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![]() Scatarie Light, Cape Breton, July 2017 Cape Breton Post photo taken from Canadian Coast Guard helicopter |
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Richmond County Lighthouses
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![]() Grandique Point Light, Isle Madame, September 2011 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Dennis Jarvis |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
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Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: South: Eastern Nova Scotia | West: Northwestern Nova Scotia
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Posted June 2003. Checked and revised February 13, 2019. Lighthouses: 51. Site copyright 2019 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.