Lake Saint Pierre (St. Peter) is a widening of the Saint Lawrence River between Sorel-Tracy and Trois-Rivières in Quebec. The lake is located downstream, and northeast, of Montreal; and upstream, and southwest, of Quebec City. The end of the lake delimits the beginning of the estuary of Saint Lawrence. The lake is thirty-two kilometres (twenty miles) long, fourteen kilometres (8.7 miles) wide, and is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

In 1916, the Department of Marine had two sets of range lights built on Ile aux Sables to mark a new channel at the upstream end of Lake Saint Pierre. The following Notice to Mariners announced the activation of these new lights:

A new channel. to which vessels drawing less than 14 feet will be restricted, has been provided northward of lle de Grace, and this channel will be lighted and buoyed on June 1. 1916, without further notice. This channel leaves the ship channel at black gas-buoy No. 111L. at the anchorage below lle Lapierre, follows the northern limit at the anchorage, passes up between Ile de Grace and Iles aux Sables and rejoins the ship channel at Nepigon Shoal Gas-buoy No. 146L. This channel has a least width of 400 feet and has been swept to a depth of 15 feet at extreme low water of 1897.

Lights. – The axis of the new channel between Flat Island and Ile de Grace will be marked by a pair of range lights and the axis of the portion between Ile Ronde and Ile de Grace, which includes a dredged cut, will be marked by another pair, all established on the upper Ile aux Sables, the rear light being common to both ranges.

Rear Light. – A fixed white catoptric light, exhibited 48 feet above the summer level of the river, from an octagonal wooden tower with square lantern, all painted white, erected on an octagonal concrete foundation, 10 feet high, on the northern side of the upper Ile aux Sables.

The structure is 42 feet high from the base of the tower to the top of the ventilator on the lantern.

The light is visible 3 miles on the alignment of the lower range and 4 miles on the alignment of the upper range.

Front Light of Lower Range. – A fixed white 6th-order cata-dioptric light, exhibited 29 feet above the summer level of the river, from a white rectangular wooden building with hip roof and square lantern, erected on a concrete foundation 8 feet high, on the southern side of the island, 3,130 feet 96° 45’ from the rear light and 170 feet buck from the water’s edge in the line of range.

The structure is 25 feet high from the base of the building to the top of the ventilator on the lantern.

The light is visible 2 miles in the line of range and to the westward.

Front Light of Upper Range. – A fixed white 6th-order cata-dioptric light, exhibited 33 feet above the summer level of the river from a small square wooden building with square lantern, painted white, erected on a concrete pier 17 feet high, with battered sides and pointed at the upstream end, on the southwestern end of the island, 1,633 feet 215° 15' from the rear range light and 120 feet back from the water’s edge in the line of range.

The structure is 18 feet high from the base of the building to the top of the ventilator on the lantern.

The light is visible 4 miles in the line of range and to the eastward.

Day labour, under the supervision of J.D. Weir, erected the three wooden lighthouse towers to form the two sets of ranges at a cost of $11,332.73. The range that marked the channel between between Flat Island (Île Plate) and Île de Grâce was known as Îles aux Sables Lower Range, and the range that marked the channel between Île Ronde and Île de Grâce was known as Îles aux Sables Upper Range.

N. Bergeron served as keeper of the range lights from 1916 to 1924. He was followed by H. Sylvestre, who cared for the lights until 1931. The range lights were likely discontinued in 1931, as the lights no longer appear on the annual Light List after that.

Keepers: N. Bergeron (1916 – 1924), H. Sylvestre (1924 – 1931), P. Ethier (1931 – 1932).

References

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

No range lights exist at this location today.

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