The Little Channel Range Lights were established in 1872 on the northern side of Conway Inlet, an opening between two barrier islands on the northern shore of Prince Edward Island. Little Channel is located on the northwest end of Bill Hook Island, also known as Fish Island, and the Malpeque Harbour Approach Range Lights are located on the southeast end of Bill Hook Island.

In 1874, a year after Prince Edward Island entered Confederation, the General Superintendent of Lighthouses toured the island and described the Little Channel Range as being "of the most temporary description." A small tower and a companion range light on a moveable frame were recommended for the station along with a dwelling and an oil store.

Little Channel Rear Range Lighthouse in 1937 Photograph courtesy Canadian Coast Guard

A contract was entered into with Peter Miller, of Ellerslie, in 1876 to construct two range-light towers at Little Channel or Conway Inlet for $900, and these improved lights were completed on August 8th and first exhibited on August 20th, 1877. The front light was shown from an open framework tower with a height of 6.1 metres (20 feet), while the rear light was shown from a white square wooden tower with a height of 9.1 metres (30 feet). The towers were spaced 60.3 metres (198 feet) apart. William Hardy was appointed the first keeper of the Little Channel Range Lights and served for roughly fifty years.

William Mitchell, agent of the Department of Marine and Fisheries for Prince Edward Island, visited the station on July 26, 1878 and noted that the lights, which consisted of two circular-burners, with twenty-inch reflectors, were in good order.

A new block or foundation was provided for the front range light in 1885 and again in 1928.

Upon the death of Ernest A. Hardy in May 1946, Everett L. Hardy was appointed keeper of the lights and served for a year until the lights were made unwatched in May 1947. Everett Hardy was subsequently paid $15 each year to light the range at the beginning of the season and extinguish it at the close. Three generations of the Hardy family served as the only keepers of the range lights, which were often called the Hardy Channel Range.

By 1965, the foundation of the rear range had been undermined, and the wooden tower was in poor condition.

The Little Channel Range Lights were deactivated in 1969, and the rear tower was subsequently relocated and incorporated into a dwelling near Freeland where it is roughly 6.4 km (4 miles) from its original location.

The lighthouse and attached dwelling were placed on the market around 2008 and remained unsold as of 2013. In early 2013, the asking price was dropped to $199,900 and then to $129,000 in 2014. The residence at that time was a bit dilapidated, but given its stunning location, it was obvious that a caring owner could soon turn it into a real gem. This did soon happen and now visitors can get the chance to spend the night at the lighthouse, as the property became available as a vacation rental known as Hardy’s Channel Lighthouse Retreat.

Keepers: William Hardy, Jr. (1874 – 1924), Ernest A. Hardy (1924 – 1946), Everett L. Hardy (1946 – 1947).

References

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

Little Channel Rear Range Lighthouse is located at the end of a long private road, so the best public views of the lighthouse are from across the inlet. Take Route 173 north from Freeland and then turn left onto Smith Road from where a distant, partial view of the lighthouse is possible. We hitched a ride with a local oyster fisherman to get a view of the lighthouse from the water. The property was available as a vacation rental known as Hardy’s Channel Lighthouse Retreat.

The lighthouse is privately owned. Grounds/tower closed.

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