Tétreaultville, also known as Mercier-Est, is a Montreal neighbourhood located near the eastern end of the Island of Montreal and is one of three districts in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. In 1911, the Department of Marine purchased a four-section, steel, skeletal tower from the Goold, Shapley, & Muir Company of Brantford, Ontario to house the rear light of a new range to be established at Tétreaultville. The following description of the range was published to alert mariners of its establishment:

Tétreauville Rear Range Tower circa 1950 Photograph courtesy Michel Forand

The Canadian Government has given notice that fixed white catoptric range lights, visible 4 miles in the line of range, have been established at Tetreauville, below Longue Pointe, St. Lawrence River, to mark the axis of the ship channel from Ile aux Vaches Traverse to Longue Pointe Curve.

The front light is exhibited 28 feet above the summer level of the river from an enclosed, square, wooden building, painted white, surmounted by a square wooden lantern, painted white with red roof, located on the top of the river bank about ¾ mile below Longue Pointe Church. The height of the building from base to the top of the ventilator on the lantern is 22 feet.

The rear light is exhibited 94 feet above the summer level of the river from a skeleton steel tower, square in plan with sloping sides, painted red, surmounted by an enclosed, white, wooden watch-room and a square wooden lantern. It is white with red roof, located 2,171 feet 205° from the front lighthouse. The upper portion of the side of the steel frame facing the channel is covered with white wooden slats to make it more conspicuous as a daymark. The height of the tower from its base to the top of the ventilator on the lantern is 82 feet.

The two lights in one, bearing 205°, lead up through Pointe aux Trembles channel from Ile aux Vaches Traverse to Longe Pointe Curve, and mark the same alignment as the Ile Ste. Thérese Upper Range Lights.

The towers were erected by day’s labour under the direction of P. Beauchemin at an expense of $1,176, while the sites were purchased for $1,400. Antoine David was hired as the first keeper of the range lights.

By 1971, a circular metal tower had taken the place of the original wooden tower used to display the front light, and at some point between 1971 and 1994, a circular metal tower took the place of the original four-section skeletal tower used to display the rear light.

Tétreauville Range remains active today, displaying fixed green lights downstream at a height of forty-eight feet above the river for the front light and ninety-nine feet for the rear light.

Keepers: Antoine David (1911 – 1918), G. Perrault (1918 – 1919), L. Tardy (1918 – at least 1923).

References

1. Annual Report of the Department of Marine, various years.

The front tower is located at the intersection of Rue Bellerive and Rue Baldwin, while the rear tower is located near 1853 Place Beauchesne.

The range lights are owned by the Canadian Coast Guard. Grounds open, towers closed.

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