A string of islands, with narrow winding channels separating the various islands, lies in the middle of the St. Lawrence River between Saint-Sulpice on the north shore and Verchères on the south shore. Île Bouchard is the largest island in the chain, and others include Île Ronde, Île Dansereau, Île Marie, and Île Beauregard.

Île aux Prunes is a smaller island situated between Île Bouchard and the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River, just northeast of Verchères. In 1866, the Department of Marine had a lighthouse built on Île aux Prunes on land acquired from Olivier Chagnon dit Larose for sixty dollars. During an inspection in 1871, the lamps inside the lighthouse on Île aux Prunes were found in fair order, but the blinds were off their hinges, and the lighthouse was in a very dirty state. The keeper was severely reprimanded and informed that a recurrence of such negligence would result in his dismissal.

In the spring of 1876, ice carried away the lighthouse pier at Île aux Prunes. Tenders were invited for rebuilding the pier, and the work was completed later that year at a cost of $1,026. The lighthouse, a square, wooden building that stood twenty-seven feet tall, was removed from the pier each fall on account of ice floes, so it was not damaged when the pier was lost.

In 1882, James Sheridan received $646 to construct a new lighthouse for Île aux Prunes.

The following Notice to Mariners, published in 1896, announced another new lighthouse for Île aux Prunes:

On the opening of navigation in the spring of 1896, the wooden lighthouse tower formerly used at Isle aux Prunes light station, in the River St. Lawrence below Montreal, was replaced by a skeleton steel structure, square in plan, with sloping sides, surmounted by a square galvanized iron lantern. The vane on the lantern is elevated 31 feet above the deck of the timber work pier to which the building is bolted.

Both framework and lantern are painted red. The tower is made more conspicuous as a day mark by having a target of wooden slats attached to the upper half of the down-stream face. This target is painted white on both the up and down stream faces. No change has been made in the height or character of the light.

In 1897, two carpenters from Quebec were dispatched to repair the pier under the new metal tower at Île aux Prunes and to construct a small shelter to permit the keeper, Frederic St. Pierre, to pass the night in while on duty. The shed cost thirty dollars, and the repairs to the pier $154.75.

On May 1, 1902, Verchères Traverse Range Lights and Verchères Village Range Lights were established to mark the new ship channel that was dredged between Île Bouchard and the south shore. As a result, Île aux Prunes Lighthouse was no longer needed, and it was relocated to replace the rear tower of Port St. Francis Range that was destroyed by a storm in September 1901. The tower served at Port St. Francis Range until 1906, when it was relocated to serve at Île a la Bague.

Keepers: J.B. Larose (at least 1872 – 1881), David Robert (1881 – 1891), Theodore Verville (1892 – 1893), Philippe Guyon (1893 – 1895), Frederic St. Pierre (1895 – 1897), Philip Guyon (1898 – 1901).

References

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

No light exists at this location today.

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