The St. Lawrence River broadens in a few areas along its course to form lakes. Just upstream from Montreal are found Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Francis, and just downstream from Sorel-Tracy is Lake Saint-Peter. In the western end of Lake Saint-Peter, just offshore from Sorel-Tracy, is found a collection of 103 islands known as the Archipelago of Saint-Peter.

In 1906 and 1907, multiple sets of range lights were established to guide mariners through the archipelago, including Gallia Bay, Île des Barques, Île du Moine, Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel, Île de Grâce, and Île Dupas. A concrete pier, measuring twenty-seven feet square at its base and tapering to fifteen feet square at its top, which was fourteen feet high, was built at Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel in 1905 to support the front range tower. The Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel Range Lights were placed in operation on August 22, 1906 to mark the thirty-foot-deep and 450-foot-wide ship channel through Île de Grâce traverse, from the west end of Île des barques to the curve below Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel.

The following description of Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel Range was published shortly after the lights were established:

The front lighthouse, a square white building surmounted by a square red lantern, all 19 feet high, stands on a concrete pier, on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence, about 2 ¼ miles below Sorel, and exhibits, at 35 feet above high water, a fixed white light, visible, in the line of range 2 miles.

The rear lighthouse, a brown square steel skeleton tower, with white wooden slat work on upper portion of side facing channel, white inclosed watch room, and lantern roof red, the whole being 80 feet high, stands 723 yards, 235°, from the front lighthouse and exhibits at 98 feet above high water, a fixed white light, visible, in the line of range 5 miles.

These two lights in line, 235°, lead up from the intersection of their range line with Gallia Bay lower range, at the bend off the southeast point of ile a Lapierre, nearly to the intersection of their range line with Ile du Moine upper range near lightbuoy No. 136 L.

Frs. Lanicault was hired as the first keeper of the front range light at an annual salary of $100, while Pierre Counoyer received the same amount for tending the rear light.

By 2011, the original rear tower had been replaced by an eighty-three-foot-tall, tripod, skeletal tower that displays a fixed green light along the range line. The front tower is now equipped with two lights: a fixed green light in its lantern room that shines along the range line and a fixed green light mounted atop the tower that is visible 360°.

Keepers:

• Front: Frs. Lanicault (1906 – 1912), M. Rajotte (1912 – 1922), N. Rajotte (at least 1923).
• Back: Pierre Counoyer (1906 – 1912), N. Letraverse (1912 – 1922), P. Cournoyer (1922 – at least 1923)

References

1. Annual Report of the Department of Marine, various years.

From the northern terminus of Autoroute 30, turn left onto Boulevard Poliquin. After 2.2 km (1.4 miles), Boulevard Poliquin will become Chemin du Chenal du Moine. Continue for 2.3 km (1.4 miles) more, and you will see Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel Range Rear Lighthouse on your right some distance from the road. You can photograph the rear light from the parking lot of a nearby church. To find the front range light, continue east on Chemin du Chenal du Moine for 0.8 km (0.5 miles) and then turn left onto the road after Rue Dupont. The light is at the end of this road, but the best way to see the light is from a boat on the river.

The range lights are owned by the Canadian Coast Guard. Grounds/towers closed.

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