Oka is a small village located on the northern shore of Ottawa River near the confluence of the river and Lake of Two Mountains. In 1898, the Department of Marine established a light just upstream from Oka to mark a narrow section of the Ottawa River formed by two points that extended into the river from opposite shores of the river. A description of this new light appeared in the 1898 Annual Report of the Department of Marine:

Oka Lighthouse. A lighthouse was put in operation on the 4th November last on Pointe du Lac, or Sandy Point, the first prominent point above the village of Oka to facilitate the navigation of the Lake of Two Mountains.

The tower is a square wooden building with sloping walls, surmounted by a square wooden lantern, and is painted white throughout. It is 28 feet high from its base to the ventilator on the lantern. It stands on a cribwork pier 6 feet high, built on the extremity of the point, immediately below high-water mark, and at the foot of the high land.

The light is fixed white, elevated 30 feet above the summer level of the lake, and should be visible 8 miles from all points of approach by water. The illuminating apparatus is dioptric, of the seventh order.

The contractor for this work was Mr. Geo. Lauzon. of St. Eustache, and his price was $1,150. The total expenditure in connection with the establishment of this station has been $1,226.78.

In 1907, Oka Lighthouse was relocated from its pier on the shore of Ottawa River to the top of a hill about 600 metres upstream and seventy metres from the river. In its new location, the fixed white light had a focal plane of forty-four metres about the river and could be seen for eleven kilometres. With Oka Lighthouse in its new location, mariners could align Oka Light above Pointe aux Anglais Light to indicate the best channel a kilometre or so upstream from a point one kilometre or so above Pointe aux Anglais to the intersection of the Argenteuil Bay Range Lights located farther upstream.

H. Lacroix served as the keeper of Oka Lighthouse from 1898 until 1910. Gedeon Lamouche, A. Lacroix, and C. Lauzon subsequently served as keeper of the light. By 1958, a skeletal tower had replaced the original Oka Lighthouse. Oka Light was discontinued in the late 1990s.

Keepers: H. Lacroix (1898 – 1910), Gedeon Lamouche (1910 – 1912), A. Lacroix (1912 – 1920), C. Lauzon (1920 – at least 1923).

References

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

No light exists at this location today.

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