Caribou Island Light, Federal heritage lighthouse in Thunder Bay District, Canada.
Caribou Island Light is a lighthouse in Thunder Bay District featuring a white concrete tower that stands about 32 meters high with six flying buttresses supporting its structure and a lantern room at the top. The tower includes a viewing platform partway up and uses solar power to operate its light, which flashes white and helps vessels navigate the treacherous reef-filled waters around it.
Parliament approved funding for the lighthouse in 1884, and operations began on August 26, 1886. The tower and its original fog trumpet were part of early efforts to make navigation through Lake Superior's dangerous eastern waters safer for sailors.
The lighthouse represents the maritime navigation heritage of Canada, marking the development of safe passage through Lake Superior's eastern waters.
The lighthouse sits on a small five-acre island about one mile west of Caribou Island's southern tip in remote lake waters. Access requires reaching the location by boat, as there is no land connection to the mainland.
The light operates with a distinctive flashing pattern that helps sailors quickly identify it compared to other beacons in the region. This signal was specifically designed to stand out and prevent confusion with other lighthouse signals nearby.
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