Île Brion Lighthouse

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Île Brion Lighthouse

Built in 1904-1905 the lighthouse on Brion Island is located on the western end of the island.

The lighthouse on Brion Island is a typical example of a model of navigational aid designed by the Marine and Fisheries Department of Canada. The department had developed for its network a number of basic models of various heights and shapes and using different materials. Brion Island's lighthouse features an octagonal wooden tower with spread-out cornices and characteristic panels. It is 14.9 metres high and its wooden construction in typical of the period.

A house for the families of the successive keepers was built around 1903, near the site of the future lighthouse. A stable was added in 1938. These buildings were abandoned around 1967 and demolished in 1972. During the period, some small fish processing plants operated on Brion Island. There were also fishers' huts and some farm buildings. Madelinots stopped going to Brion Island during the 1940s.

The Brion Island lighthouse continues to be a vital element for navigation. It provides guidance for the fishing boats of the area as well as other ships sailing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the vicinity of the Miramichi river and the Baie des Chaleurs. It is an aid to maritime traffic between the St. Lawrence river and the Atlantic Ocean. This includes the transportation of iron ore from Sept-Îles to ports of the eastern U.S.

In 1964, the Government of Québec set aside Brion Island as a 650-hectare protected ecological reserve. The site of the lighthouse is not part of the reserve and is open to visitors.

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Les Îles de la Madeleine
Please note that all visitors aged 13 and over must pay a fee of $30 before leaving the archipelago for departures between May 1st and October 14th, 2024. Read more
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