Lake St. Francis is an expansion of the St. Lawrence River situated between Cornwall, Ontario on the west and Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec on the east. In 1844, the Board of Works of the Province of Canada built Lancaster Lighthouse on a pier in Lake St. Francis “for the guidance of the Packets touching at Lancaster with the Mails.” This lighthouse stood twenty-feet tall and exhibited a white light that could be seen up to eight miles.

Lancaster Pier Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built on Lake St. Francis, but additional square, wooden towers were later built at Hamilton Island (1873), Lancaster Bar (1870, replacing a lightship that had served there since 1849), Cherry Island (1847), Port Lewis (1875), McKie’s Point (1847), Coteau Landing (1848), and Grosse Pointe (1873).

The following description of Lancaster Bar Lighthouse, which was located just over four kilometres upstream from Lancaster Pier Lighthouse, appears in the Annual Report of the Department of Marine for 1870:

A new pier, with a lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling built on it, was erected last winter at Lancaster Bar in the River St. Lawrence, near Lancaster, in the County of GIengarry. The light ship which was formerly stationed at that place was found to be partially rotten and unfit for further service, and it was considered advisable by the Department to erect a pier or crib, and have a light there, instead of procuring a new light ship. The present light is elevated 31 feet above the level of the water, and can be seen a distance of eight miles. It is a fixed white light on the Catroptic system. The cost of this pier and lighthouse was $2,643. It was lighted for the first time on the 28th April, 1870.

It appears that George H. Johnson was the first keeper of the lighthouse. He initially appeared as an assistant keeper at nearby Cherry Island Lighthouse, but in 1873, he was listed as the keeper of Lancaster Bar Lighthouse. In 1872, an ice breaker was built at a cost of $2,292 to protect Lancaster Bar Lighthouse from “the large quantities of floating ice coming down the river in the spring of the year.” Lancaster Bar Lighthouse was described as a white, square tower that stood twenty feet high and was situated on the north side of the channel. Keeper Johnson, who had a family of eight in 1877, lived at the lighthouse.

John Jacob Munroe replaced George Johnson as keeper of Lancaster Bar Lighthouse in 1892, and the following year the roof of the dwelling at the station was reshingled and the foundation of the lighthouse was repaired. In 1907, Keeper Munroe was placed in charge of both Lancaster Bar Lighthouse and the nearby Lancaster Pier Lighthouse. In 1923, a sixth-order lens was installed at Lancaster Bar Lighthouse.

In 1948, Lancaster Bar Lighthouse was rebuilt. In 2021, Lancaster Bar Light, also known as D41, consisted of a white, cylindrical tower with a green upper portion. The tower is marked with D41 and exhibits a flashing white light with a period of four seconds.

Keepers: George H. Johnson (at least 1873 – 1892), John J. Munroe (1892 – 1924).

References

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

Lancaster Bar Lighthouse is best seen by boat.

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