Haut-Fond Prince, Canada

The Haut-Fond Prince Light Tower is a significant hazard marker with a range of 18 nautical miles. It is a channel marker on the St. Lawrence River, a major navigable river serving as an international shipping route. As such, it serves as a very good illustration of the theme of aids to navigation. Designed to replace a previous, seasonal lightship, the light tower also illustrates the evolution of facilities to accommodate maritime shipping into the winter season. Construction of the light tower was started in 1961 in response to the year-round opening of the seaway the year before. During the Christmas storm of 1966, it was pounded by high waves, fierce winds and snow for two days. Despite sustaining major damage, it was able to withstand conditions far worse than those for which it was designed, protecting the keepers inside.