Imperial Towers

The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay,[1] all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada.

[2] All were built at a time when commercial shipping traffic was increasing on the Great Lakes between Canada and the U.S. because of new trade agreements and the opening of the Sault Ste.

These were: All six were built between 1855 and 1859 and all were lit by 1859; for the most part, their construction was simultaneous and the design virtually identical, although the Christian Island Light is not as tall as the others.

Brown lost four full supply boats, all of which sank before reaching their destinations and unloading.

The Fresnel lenses were made by the Louis Sautter Company of Paris and installed by specialist workmen from France.

According to the Heritage Character Statement from the Government of Canada (for the nearly identical Chantry Island light), the design is very strong and somewhat ornate.

[12] Four towers were built along the approaches to the Saint Lawrence: at fr:Cap-des-Rosiers on the Gaspe peninsula; in the Strait of Belle Isle; at Pointe Amour near L'Anse Amour on the Labrador coast; and at West Point on Anticosti Island.

Other imperial towers are Mohawk Island (Gull Island), Lake Erie, built in 1848 by John Brown and Government historians list Bois Blanc near Amherstburg Ont built before that as also being an imperial tower.