Built in 1830, this lighthouse was classified as a historic monument in 1964 by the Quebec government.
Now converted into a heritage museum. its seven floors clearly illustrate each of the themes, including the lives of the eight keepers who worked there, navigation and the shipwrecks near Pointe-des-Monts.
The Pointe-des-Monts lighthouse is among the first lighthouses on the St. Lawrence. The lighthouse keepers watched over the waters of the St. Lawrence night and day. So they lived there, in the lighthouse islet.
Our houses were built in 1954 and were indeed home to the keepers of the historic lighthouse.
Elles sont situées sur le site du deuxième phare , couramment appelé "le phare moderne’’ en raison qu’il était alimenté par l’électricité. La maison des génératrices est toujours sur notre site, mais n’a pas été rénovée encore, elle sert de cabanon pour l’instant . Le Phare moderne était loin d’être une jolie architecture, c’était simplement une grande tour en aluminium avec une lumière déposée au-dessus. Cette lumière est d’ailleurs toujours sur notre site et les fondations sont aussi encore existantes.
The modern lighthouse was in operation from 1963, when the historic lighthouse was extinguished, to 1981.
The reason for the construction of the modern lighthouse
One of the reasons why there are so many shipwrecks is because the historic lighthouse was not built in the right place. Let's say Google Map didn't exist in the 1800s.
La Havre du Phare sits proudly on the most protruding point of the Saint Lawrence River. This place should have been the place to build the first lighthouse.
You can visit the exhibition inside the lighthouse, which traces the history of this station which protected sailors and their ships.
Take advantage of your visit to the Pointe-des-Monts Lighthouse to climb to the summit (70 feet high) and enjoy the panoramic view in all its splendor!
Anne-Marie Maguire fell in love with the place and acquired the houses, which were then abandoned, the lighthouse no longer in operation. After being renovated from top to bottom, the houses were converted into rental cabins and opened their doors to tourists in summer 2021. Steeped in history, they are an ideal starting point to discover the beauty and identity of the North Shore.
The new owner has exhibited maps within the chalets which tell the story of the shipwrecks which marked the place. This is the reason why there were so many tragic shipwrecks at the current location, on the prominent Pointe-des-Monts, before it welcomed the new lighthouse.
