Prince Edward Island Lighthouses Light The Way Home

A s a coastal community the                                           lighthouses of Prince           PEI has a rich history and is the  Edward Island not only          birthplace of confederation in     served the practical purpose of       Canada. It also has many historic  lighting the way home before the      lighthouses that were used to      era of GPS navigation, they now       guide the ships delivering goods   offer a unique opportunity to         to and from Canada. PEI’s          those who visit. Prince Edward        lighthouses are classified in two  Island offers a variety of            ways “First Generation” (built     lighthouse tours ranging from the     before 1873) and “Second           scenic to the informative.            Generation” (those built                                                 following 1873). The difference    As most are aware, lighthouses        between the two types is that      served as a navigational aid for      first generation lighthouses have  sailors and the ships they            an octagonal shape and were        captained. Lighthouses are towers     constructed when timber was        that are positioned on sea            plentiful in the province. The     shores, or even sometimes in          second generation lighthouses are  harbours. They use a series of        square shaped as by this point     lamps and lenses to help guide        (post 1873) PEI’s timber supply    navigating vessels on the high        had been scarce because of the     seas. Lighthouses are used to         shipbuilding industry.             mark dangerous coastlines, steer                                         ships away from hazards, mark         Lighthouse technology, although    safe entry points into harbours       used less in modern times,         and assist in aerial navigation.      employs a series of lamps and      With that in mind it is important     lenses to project light over       to note how important lighthouses     large distances. This technology   were to trade and commerce            utilizes concentrated light from   throughout human history.             a single continuous source and     magnifies and reflects it so that     by both scenic red sand beaches    it can be beamed across open          and rugged cliffs touring the      water. The first lighthouses were     lighthouses provides wonderful     lit by candles, later by whale        insight into maritime life and     oil, then by the 1870's kerosene      well as a rich Canadian history.   was typically used.                   Since Prince Edward Island is                                            surrounded by water you are never  As an island PEI boasts over 40       to far from the breathtaking       historic lighthouses. Surrounded      views of the gentle island.        About the Author: About PEI Prince Edward Island is widely known as the historic birthplace of Canada. The Charlottetown conference held in 1864 was the first meeting of a series which ultimately led to the confederation of Canada in 1867. Visit the gentle island Published At: www.Isnare.com