The Gros Cap Reefs Light is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

located at the entrance to St. Mary's River from

Whitefish Bay Whitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of Lake Superior between Michigan, United States, and Ontario, Canada. It is located between Whitefish Point in Michigan and Whiskey Point along the more rugged, largely wilderness Canadian Shield o ...

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

. The light was completed in 1953 and replaced a lightship stationed there since 1923. The lighthouse, owned by the

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in ...

, is located on the southwest edge of the Gros Cap Reef. Light characteristic is a flashing red light, every 5 seconds, visible for 12 miles. Its tower has been removed, the structure is merely a 3-story base which houses the keeper's quarters, with the light mounted on a skeletal mast. The lighthouse also has a

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard s ...

. It formerly housed a

non-directional beacon A non-directional beacon (NDB) or non-directional radio beacon is a radio beacon which does not include directional information. Radio beacons are radio transmitters at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. NDB are ...

as part of the precision approach at

Sault Ste. Marie Airport Sault Ste. Marie Airport is an international airport located west-southwest of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada at the far eastern end of Lake Superior and the beginning of the St. Mary's River. History The Canadian government o ...

but has since been decommissioned and the antenna taken down due to high maintenance costs. The opening of this

aid to navigation In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. Ai ...

resulted in the deactivation of the

Point Iroquois Light Point Iroquois Light is a lighthouse on a Chippewa County bluff in the U.S. state of Michigan. Point Iroquois and its light mark the division line between Whitefish Bay and the western end of the St. Marys River, the connection between Lake S ...

in 1962.Michigan Lighthouse Fund, Point Iroquois Lighthouse.

References

External links

Aerial photo at Marinas.comAnderson, Kraig, Lighthouse Friends, Gros Cap (Ontario) Reefs Light).Photograph, Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society ARLHS CAN-565 Light, Gros Cap Reefs Light.

Aids to Navigation
''Canadian Coast Guard'' Lighthouses completed in 1953 Lighthouses in Ontario St. Marys River (Michigan–Ontario) Buildings and structures in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 1953 establishments in Ontario {{Ontario-lighthouse-stub

See also

References

External links