As a coastal community the lighthouses of Prince Edward Island not only served the practical purpose of lighting the way home before the era of GPS navigation, they now offer a unique opportunity to those who visit. Prince Edward Island offers a variety of lighthouse tours ranging from the scenic to the informative.
As most are aware, lighthouses served as a navigational aid for sailors and the ships they captained. Lighthouses are towers that are positioned on sea shores, or even sometimes in harbours. They use a series of lamps and lenses to help guide navigating vessels on the high seas. Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, steer ships away from hazards, mark safe entry points into harbours and assist in aerial navigation. With that in mind it is important to note how important lighthouses were to trade and commerce throughout human history.
PEI has a rich history and is the birthplace of confederation in Canada. It also has many historic lighthouses that were used to guide the ships delivering goods to and from Canada. PEIs lighthouses are classified in two ways First Generation (built before 1873) and Second Generation (those built following...