Rainy River has a length of about 220 kilometres and flows between the western end of Rainy Lake to the eastern end of Lake of the Woods. Besides serving as the border between the United States and Canada for all of its length, the river was also an important route for steamboat traffic connected with lumber, fishing, and mining interests in the area.

In 1884, Parliament appropriated funds for the construction of a lighthouse at the entrance to Rainy River from Lake of the Woods. Thomas A. Shepherd of Winnipeg built Rainy River Lighthouse in 1885 under a $300 contract, and the light was placed in operation at the opening of navigation in 1886. The Annual Report of the Department of Marine for 1886 described the new lighthouse:

The illuminating apparatus is dioptric of small size. The light is fixed red, elevated 35 feet above the level of the water and should be visible eight miles from all points of approach; it shows out into the Lake of the Woods and also up the river. The tower is a square wooden building, painted white, surmounted by a metal lantern, and is 33 feet high from the ground to the vane on the lantern. The sum of $908.75 was expended on the construction of this light.

E. Chanteloup provided the lantern and illuminating apparatus for the lighthouse at a cost of $259.30. Michael Morriseau was appointed the first keeper of Rainy River Lighthouse on June 8, 1886 at an annual salary of $100.

Due to complaints from shipping interests, William P. Anderson, chief engineer of the Department of Marine, made a trip to Lake of the Woods to inspect the light and buoy service in September 1894. He found that the lighthouse was too far inland to be a proper guide for entering the river, so in the summer of 1895 it was relocated from its position on the mainland on the Hungry Hall Indian Reserve to a pile foundation on the port side of the shipping channel off the southern end of Sable Island, distant two-and-a-third miles from its former position. The tower stood six feet above the water, and was placed in operation at its new location around September 10, 1895. A shelter shed for Keeper Morriseau was built near the south end of Sable Island.

At the same time the lighthouse was relocated, a pole light was established to form a range with the lighthouse. The pole light consisted of a mast on which a lantern was hoisted to a height of twenty-eight feet above the water. When the two lights were aligned, they marked the course from Sugar Point to the mouth of Rainy River, passing between middle ground shoal and Sable Island shoal.

After the range lights had been in operation for less than a year, it was found that the pile foundations were unable to resist the ice shoves that occurred in the spring. Cribwork piers filled with ballast were ordered for the lights, but the ice broke up in 1897 before the contractor was given the go-ahead to start the work. The following description of the changes made to the range lights appeared in the 1899 Annual Report of the Department of Marine:

The mast formerly in use, from which the back range light at the mouth of Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, was exhibited, has been removed, and its place is now filled by a tower on a wooden cribwork pier, standing in the lake at a distance of 800 feet S. E. by S. from the front tower.

The tower is a skeleton wooden square structure with sloping sides, with the side facing the alignment slatted to make it more conspicuous as a day beacon, and with the upper part inclosed to form a lamp room. It is painted white, and is 36 feet high from the pier to the ridge on the roof.

The light is fixed red, elevated 40 feet above the level of the lake, and should be visible nine miles in the line of range. The illuminating apparatus is catoptric. The front range light remains fixed white as heretofore. The foundation on which the tower stands has been changed from pilework to a wooden cribwork pier.

William McKay of Beaver Mills, Ontario carried out the improvements at a cost of $999.

In the spring of 1902, ice overturned the pier on which the front tower stood, greatly damaging the lighthouse. A temporary light was exhibited from a lens lantern hoisted on a mast placed on the remains of the pier until two new piers were built for the range lights during the next winter. Messrs. Stephen & McKinnon of Kennora constructed two new towers and proper foundations under a contract for $1,200. The new lighthouses were described in the annual report of 1905:

The range light towers off the southern end of Sable island, at the mouth of Rainy river, Lake of the Woods, were replaced by inclosed buildings on more permanent piers, erected on the sites of the old range lighthouses.

The front tower stands on a square cribwork pier built in 10 feet water and distant 400 feet from the southwest extreme of Sable island. The tower is a wooden building, square in plan, with sloping sides, surmounted by a square wooden lantern, the whole painted white. It is 27 feet high from the deck of the pier to the top of the lantern.

The light is a fixed white dioptric light of the seventh order, elevated 27 feet above the level of the lake, and should be visible 10 miles from all points of approach by water.

The back tower stands on a square cribwork pier built in 10 feet water and distant 1,494 feet S. 26° E. from the front tower. It is a wooden building, square in plan, with sloping sides, painted white. The height from the deck of the pier to the top of the tower is 36 feet. The light is a fixed red catoptric light elevated 37 feet above the level of the lake and visible 7 miles in the line of range.

Keeper Morriseau served until 1903, and then Patrick O’Connor took over and served through at least 1937. In 1928, Rainy River Range was discontinued, but the tower off the southwest end of Sable Island was retained to serve mariners as a fixed white light. Rainy River Lighthouse was first listed as unwatched in the 1941 Light List, and it last appear in the annual Light List in 1951.

Keepers: Michael Morriseau (1886 – 1903), Patrick O’Connor (1904 – at least 1937).

References

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

The modern light is best seen by boat.

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