This 34 metre high stone light-tower, perched atop rugged cliffs, is the tallest lighthouse in Canada. The exposed point of land is at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River where it enters the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Built between 1853 and 1858, the lighthouse has never since stopped to guide ships navigating these treacherous waters.
The soaring silhouette and solid mass of the lighthouse shows a tall tapered cylindrical tower capped by a prominent light with a large metal dome-covered lantern.
The original outside stonework of bricks and stucco was replaced by white bricks in 1954 and was rebuilt in white marble in 1984. The keeper house was demolished in 1956. The doors and windows have been restored. Since 1858 it has operated using its original optical apparatus, although in 1981 it became a completely automated lighthouse.
Its light is still a landmark for the inshore fishermen and recreational boaters as well as for foreign-going ships to which it shows the entrance to the St-Lawrence River. This lighthouse contributed to the growth of St-Lawrence harbours, mainly those of Quebec City and Montreal.
