Ingonish Ferry Lighthouse

The little "pepper-shaker" style lighthouse at the narrow entrance to Ingonish Harbour first shone its kerosene light in 1887. Although the harbour entrance is sheltered from the brunt of Atlantic seas, the passage has always been narrow and tricky to navigate. The new light must have been a welcome sight to mariners of the day. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Ingonish Harbour was home to many schooners and smaller vessels engaged in the fishing trade. The original schooner Bluenose was known to visit the port on her many voyages to the Grand Banks, and no doubt her captain was welcomed to the harbour by the little light.

Over the years, the light became a familiar landmark and it was well maintained by a number of keepers, the last of whom was Donald MacKinnon Sr., or "Big Donnie" as he was affectionately known. The light was decommissioned by the Department of Transport in 1956 and replaced by an electric light on a skeleton tower complete with daymark.The lighthouse stood in various stages of disrepair for many years. During 1969-1970 the building was leased to an individual who did some renovations on the tower. But the lighthouse was soon abandoned again.

On the morning of October 26, 1983 the people of Ingonish awoke to a horrendous sight. During the night, either a tidal wave or a spring tide of unprecedented height had wrecked most of the wharves, buildings and boats along the shore of the harbour. One estimate had the water level 11 feet above high water mark at its peak.