Montreal Harbour is located on the east side of Montreal Island and faces St. Lawrence River, with St. Helen’s Island located just upstream. In 1830, a pair of range lights that were exhibited from wooden, octagonal towers was established in Montreal Harbour to help guide mariners. The following description of the range lights appeared in the Annual Report of the Department of Marine published in 1873:

The lights at this point consists of two fixed red lights seventy-three yards apart to indicate the deepest channel to and from the harbour, one being thirty-eight and the other twenty-nine feet above high water-mark. The lighting apparatus consists of one catoptric mammoth flat-wick lamp in each tower, with sixteen-inch reflectors, and both consume about 100 gallons of oil per season; both are in charge of William Jeffs and kept in good order.

William Jeffs served as keeper of the range lights from 1860 to 1884.

When the range lights at Montreal were inspected in 1877, the following observation was made:

The two towers on the wharf at Montreal have been repaired with a view to their lasting two or three years longer. From personal inspection, I should think them perfectly serviceable for that length of time; when, I believe, it is the intention of the Department to put up new iron frames, removable at the end of the season, to be replaced again on the opening of navigation.

It appears that the wooden range lights were already being taken down at the end of the navigation season and then put up the next spring as in 1877 Keeper William Jeffs was paid $70 in addition to his annual salary of $250 for performing this work. He was also paid $70 the previous year for taking down and putting up the towers. Lee, Brady, & Co. performed the repairs made to the range lights in 1877 at a cost of $295.65.

In 1884, William Jeffs was paid to keep the lights for just three months, so it appears that either the range lights were discontinued or automated at this time.

Keepers: William Jeffs (1860 – 1884).

References

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

No lights exist at this location today.

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