Sainte-Félicité is a small village situated on the southern shore of St. Lawrence River, just east of Matane.

In 1904, the Department of Marine established a fog alarm on Long Point, just above Sainte-Félicité, as noted in its annual report for that year:

A fog alarm, established at Ste. Felicite, on the south shore of the River St. Lawrence below Quebec, was put in operation on October 25, 1904. The building stands immediately inside of high water mark on the extremity of the low point which projects farthest out from the general trend of the coast, seven miles below Matane lighthouse and two miles above Ste. Felicite church. It is a rectangular wooden structure painted white, with the trumpet projecting from its seaward face at an elevation of 15 feet above high water mark.

The fog alarm consists of a diaphone operated by air compressed by oil engines. It will give one blast of 3 ½ seconds’ duration every minute.

The building was erected by days’ labour by men sent from the agency workshop at Quebec, under the foremanship of Mr. A. Martel, and cost $6,095.95.

Francois Belanger was appointed the first keeper of the fog alarm at an annual salary of $600. A dwelling house, built on a solid concrete foundation, was built for the fog alarm engineer in 1906 at a cost of $3,970.66.

Francois Belanger and Alphée Otis looked after the fog alarm for at least the first two decades that it was in operation. A commissioner was appointed to investigate charges of political partisanship against Alphée Otis in July 1927, and Otis was dismissed later that year. Francois Belanger returned as the engineer of the fog alarm, but government records show that he was dismissed in 1931. An A. Otis, likely Alphée Otis who was dismissed in 1927, was then placed in charge of the fog alarm, and he served through at least 1937. The 1921 Census shows that Alphée Otis was serving as keeper at Sainte-Félicité. He was forty-two at the time and resided with his wife Josephine and their ten children.

In 1960, the dwelling for the keeper of the fog alarm was demolished and a new one was built.

The fog signal at Sainte-Félicité is no longer active but the fog alarm building appears to be in use as a dwelling as evidenced by the structure’s unique brick chimney.

Keepers: Francois Belanger (1905 – 1911), Alphée Otis (1913 – 1927), Francois Belanger (1927 – 1931), A. Otis (1931 – at least 1937).

References

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

The fog alarm building remains standing, but there is no active fog signal at this location.

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