Gaspé Peninsula lighthouse designated national heritage site

The Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse is pictured in La Martre, Québec. (Source: Parks Canada)

A lighthouse on the Gaspé Peninsula has been recognized under the federal Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.

Environment, Climate Change and Nature Minister Julie Dabrusin announced the designation for the Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse in La Martre, Québec, on Wednesday.

The red octagonal tower was built in 1906 and stands more than 19 metres high on a cliff on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

The lighthouse helped improve navigation through the river and Gulf of Saint Lawrence during the 19th and early 20th centuries when the area was known as the “Gateway to North America.”

The community acquired the lighthouse in 1982 and has since developed exhibits and opened the site to the public.

“The Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse is a proud symbol of the Gaspé Peninsula’s heritage and the strength of its people. For more than a century, it guided mariners and supported local livelihoods, and today it continues to unite the community as a place of learning, tourism, and cultural pride,” Dabrusin said in a news release.

“Thanks to Parks Canada’s role in recognizing and protecting historic places, this designation highlights the lighthouse’s history and honours the tireless efforts of residents who have worked so hard to preserve it for future generations.”

Parks Canada says, with the new designation, 115 lighthouses in eight provinces are now protected under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.

The act is a law designed to protect and maintain lighthouses owned by the federal government that have “significant heritage value.”