The Viking Trail, Newfoundland and Labrador
Point Amour Lighthouse
The tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada and the second tallest in the country, Point Amour
is designated a provincial historic site. The lighthouse is 109 feet from the ground to the light itself, and is constructed of local
limestone. The walls at the base of the light tower are about six feet thick, with the foundations carried down to solid rock.
Point Amour was and still is a strategic location for shipping through the Strait of Belle Isle, on a shipping lane between Canada and Europe.
Point Amour has been the site of numerous shipwrecks, including HMS Raleigh. The site provides an excellent vantage point for observing
whales, sea birds, and other marine life.
The stone tower and lightkeeper's residence were constructed in 1857, and in subsequent years, several buildings were added, including an
oil shed, storage shed, fog alarm building, a second dwelling, and in 1967, a third dwelling. The buildings inside the enclosure at
Point Amour have been restored. The lightkeeper's residence now houses an extensive series of exhibits portraying the maritime history of the
Labrador Straits.