Pointe-aux-Orignaux, Moose Point, is located on the south shore of St. Lawrence River, opposite Cap-aux-Oies, Goose Cape, and just north of where Ouelle River flows into the much larger St. Lawrence River. Funds for a pier and light at Pointe aux Orignaux were provided in 1851, but only a pier was built at that time. A lighthouse was finally added in 1875 as described in the following Notice to Mariners:

Notice is hereby given that a Lighthouse has been erected by the Government of Canada on St. Denis Wharf, Point aux Orignaux, on the south shore of the River St. Lawrence, in the County of Kamouraska and Province of Quebec.

The Light is a fixed red one, elevated 34 feet above high water mark, and in clear weather will probably be seen at a distance of 8 miles from all points of approach.

The tower is placed on the end of the wharf, and is a square wooden building 20 feet high, painted white.

The illuminating apparatus is catoptric.

The Light was shown for the first time on the 29th October last.

The cost of the lighthouse, including the lighting apparatus, came to $1,721.30, and Joseph H. Beaulieu was appointed its first keeper at an annual salary of $250.

Thee mammoth, flat-wick lamps, set in twenty-inch reflectors, were originally used in the lantern room to produce the red light.

When supplies were landed at the lighthouse in June 1876 and an inspection made, the lighthouse was found to leak badly, due to shoddy work and green wood having been used. Carpenters were sent to the lighthouse and the needed repairs were made. An oil shed was also built at this time. Another deficiency noted in the lighthouse was that the tables in the lantern room for the lamps had not been covered by zinc. This was considered very dangerous as if the lighthouse took fire, the whole wharf would likely be destroyed.

In 1898, the foundation of the tower on the wharf was thoroughly strengthened, the clapboarding was renewed, and the lighthouse was painted at a cost of $116.48. The hand-operated that had been used at the lighthouse was discontinued on the opening of navigation in 1900.

In 1904, the original lighthouse was demolished, and a new rectangular, wooden building, surmounted by an octagonal lantern positioned on the middle of the roof, was built. The new lighthouse stood thirty-two feet tall from its base to the ventilator on the lantern room. A seventh-order lens was used in the lantern room to produce a fixed white light that could be seen at a distance of ten miles from all points of approach by water. Day labour under the direction of Ovide Tremblay built the new lighthouse at a cost of $5,068.69.

The rectangular wooden lighthouse appeared on annual Light Lists until 1945, when it was noted that a storm had destroyed the lighthouse and a pole was being used to display a light.

Keepers: Joseph H. Beaulieu (1875 – 1903), Dom. Levesque (1903 – 1913), C. Levesque (1913 – at least 1923).

References

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

No light is exhibited from the pier today.

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