Ever wonder what that thing sitting in the water off Gros Cap is?

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

They are usually very tall and slender, stationary, and most often red and white, although they do not always fit this stereotype.

Their jobs are extremely important, serving as traffic signals in dangerous bodies of water.

Such is the case with two lighthouses found in the waters surrounding Gros Cap. Throughout history, both lighthouses have done the job of protecting marine craft, be it pleasure craft or lake freighters from running ashore on the treacherous shoals.

For 29 years a 140-foot vessel had the job known as a lightship. This by no means was her first job!

This veteran ship once held the title of a minesweeper during the First World War. In 1917 the St. Julien entered the water to begin her minesweeping career in the North Atlantic, dragging the water to remove any enemy mines.

Little did anyone know that this would well prepare her for the unforgiving squalls of Lake Superior.

In October of 1923, the former minesweeper made its way to fresh waters where it became The Light Ship Gros Cap. Here her main duty was to anchor during the shipping season at the treacherous Gros Cap Reef approximately 15 miles north of Sault Ste Marie.

Using a radio and lighted markers on her mast, she kept all marine craft safe and informed. The radio beamed a signal every half hour for 10 minutes in clear weather and beamed constantly in fog and rainy weather. When foggy, there was ample warning as the booming foghorn permeated the entire area!

Unlike the solitary life of a traditional lighthouse keeper, the Gros Cap Light Ship housed 10 crew members who were employed for the warmer months while she stood anchored on the reef.

The crew were quite happy to be working in such picturesque surroundings. There were plenty of duties aboard the anchored ship to keep the crew busy during the day and leisurely games and conversations among the crew members throughout the evenings.

Among the shipmates were a fireman, an engineer, general crew members, a couple of cooks and the captain. 

After the shipping season ended, she travelled to a winter port in Georgian Bay until the season re-opened in the spring.

Captain Griffiths along with Bert Oldstrum, Jack Martin and John Galloway served as captains of the light ship during its time at Gros Cap.

She was known to be a “faithful old girl with personality” but after 29 years her duties were no longer needed. It is unclear as to the exact location of where she spent her final days, but Captain Joseph Griffiths had orders to take her to Midland where she was to be refitted and from there head to the waters around Quebec City.

On Aug. 25, 1952, what appeared to be the bow of a ship, slowly and methodically, trailed its way up through the Soo Locks. The huge structure was headed for the Lake Superior entrance of the St. Mary’s River, near Whitefish Bay.

With a crib planted approximately six feet into the bottom of the river, this new structure would have permanent job - security. She would face the gales of Superior head-on and would become the new, modern replacement, of the Light Ship Gros Cap.

To this day, people can take a drive to the end of highway 550 and see the ever-present lighthouse. Positioned approximately 2.8 kilometres from the Gros Cap shore, it is a massive, sturdy-looking piece of concrete resembling the front of a ship.

Mr. Gavin McKiggan was the lighthouse keeper for 15 years and described it as being like a snowplow with a pointed bow.

Ready to take on whatever the elements cared to dish out, it would serve as an icebreaker while warning of the shallow shoals.

In winter the icy waters could cover the entire structure and create a great amount of pressure. McKiggan reported that at times, he could feel the concrete structure shake from the ice below.

Along with Mr. McKiggan, Marvin Moreau also served at the Gros Cap lighthouse. He too enjoyed the life that it offered. Together they ensured that life on the waterways was running smoothly and neither of the men had any complaints about their job.

The lighthouse was quite self-sufficient having a radar beacon that informed ships of their exact location by way of a visual radar screen. It was also equipped with a radio beacon which determined direction using a high pitch ringing and of course, a foghorn. A scanner was used to tune in to weather conditions for both Canada and the U.S.

Since 1987 the fog signal has been unmanned, and with new advances in technology, there are now much more accurate methods of navigation.

Most boaters have on their own navigational aids on board.

Although the lighthouse still flashes a constant light to warn of the shoals, long-gone are the days of lighthouse keepers and foghorns. Its presence remains however and only the huge concrete mass knows of the number of vessels and crew members that it has kept safe throughout the years.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here