Country Harbour is a sixteen-kilometre-long inlet on the northeast shore of Nova Scotia that has been home to farming, gold mining, logging, and shipbuilding over the years. Today, the area is sparsely populated, and many of the visitors to Country Harbour are simply passengers on the cable ferry that crosses the inlet, linking Port Bickerton with Isaacs Harbour.

Just offshore from the inlet are a trio of islands: Harbour Island, Goose Island, and Country Island. Country Island was formerly known as Green Island, and, being the outermost of the three islands, was a natural location for a lighthouse. Country Island Lighthouse was established in 1873 and served as a coastal lighthouse, and the following year Isaac’s Harbour Lighthouse was completed to mark the way to Country Harbour inlet and Isaac’s Harbour.

In 1907, work began on a lighthouse on Harbour Island, roughly midway between Country Island Lighthouse and Isaac’s Harbour Lighthouse. Notes on this new lighthouse were included in the Annual Report of the Department of Marine :

The wooden lighthouse tower and outbuildings mentioned in last year’s annual report, as being under construction were completed. The lighthouse consists of a square wooden building, with a square wooden lantern rising form the middle of its hip roof. The sides of the building and lantern are painted white, and the roofs are painted red. The height of the lighthouse from its base to the top of the ventilator on the lantern is 35 feet.

The light is an occulting dioptric white light of the sixth order, visible for 8 second and eclipsed for 4 seconds, alternately. It is elevated 37 feet above high-water mark, and visible 11 miles. The work was done by contact by Mr. Stewart C. McMillan, of Isaacs Harbour, N.S., the contract price being $1,595.

Charles D. Hodgson was hired as the first keeper of Harbour Island Lighthouse. He served through 1911, and then A.I. Luddington took charge in 1912 and served until the kerosene oil light was changed to an unwatched acetylene gas light in 1921 through the installation of an Aga lighting apparatus.

According to Light Lists, Harbour Island Lighthouse exhibited an automated light until 1923, when a mast with a shed at its base was placed on the island for displaying a flashing white light. This mast was in service until 1942, after which no navigational light was found on the island.

Keepers: Charles D. Hodgson (1908 – 1911), A.I. Luddington (1912 – 1921).

References

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

No light exists at this location today.

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