Modernisation / Modernizing
Un vaste rayonnement
Au début du 20e siècle, Pointe-au-Père bouillonne d'activités : en plus du phare, on y trouve un poste de communication, une station de relevé des marées et, à partir de 1905, la station officielle de pilotage. En 1909, on entreprend la construction d'un nouveau phare, avant-gardiste et plus imposant. Sa tour octogonale de 27,7 mètres supporte une lanterne abritant un appareillage optique à la fine pointe de la technologie. Toutes les sept secondes et demie, ce feu émet quatre scintillements visibles jusqu'à trente kilomètres.
Cap sur la modernité
Au début du 20e siècle, le transport maritime connaît une forte croissance, principalement attribuable aux exportations de blé et à l'immigration européenne. Pressé par les compagnies de navigation, le gouvernement lance un programme pour améliorer les aides à la navigation du Saint-Laurent. Pointe-au-Père compte parmi les 14 stations désignées, probablement à cause de sa position stratégique. En effet, plus de 1000 océaniques y embarquent et débarquent leur pilote chaque année, sans compter que tout le courrier transocéanique
this page online
Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis
Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis (1882-1953) a signé les plans du troisième phare. Cet ingénieur civil, diplômé de l'Université de Paris, travaillait sous la direction de William P. Anderson, ingénieur en chef du ministère de la Marine et des Pêcheries.
[Illustrations, en haut à gauche, dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, lisez]
• Le troisième phare en construction, en 1909.
• La station de Pointe-au-Père au milieu du 20e siècle.
• La lampe du troisième phare mesure un mètre de diamètre et pèse 1360kg. Ses prismes concentrent la lumière en un faisceau plus lumineux : une invention du français Augustin Fresnel.
In the early 20th century, Pointe-au-Père was a hive of activity: in addition to the lighthouse, it was home to a communication centre, tide and current survey station, and, starting in 1905, an official pilot station. In 1909, construction began on a new, larger and more advanced lighthouse. The optical equipment housed in its 27.7 m. octagonal tower was technologically sophisticated, emitting four visible signals that could be seen up to 30 km away every seven and a half seconds.
Entering 
In the early 20th century, maritime transportation experienced enormous growth due to increased wheat exports and burgeoning European immigration. Under pressure from shipping companies, the government launched a program to improve navigational aid in the St. Lawrence. Pointe-au-Père was one of 14 sites chosen for the program, no doubt because of its strategic location. Each year over 1,000 ocean-going vessels picked up or dropped off pilots, in addition to transoceanic mail sent by way of Rimouski.
Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis
The third lighthouse was designed by Louis Fernand Henri de Miffonis (1882-1953). A civil engineer who graduated from Université de Paris, he worked under the direction of William P. Anderson, head engineer for the Department of Marine and Fisheries.
[Illustrations, clockwise from top left, read]
• The third lighthouse under construction in 1909.
• The Pointe-au-Père station in the mid-1900s.
• The lamp of the third lighthouse measured one meter in diameter and weighed 1,360kg. Its prisms, invented by Frenchman Augustin Fresnel, focused light in a more luminous beam.
Erected by Parks/Parcs Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture
Location. 48° 31.064′ N, 68° 28.114′ W. Marker is in Rimouski, Québec, in Rimouski-Neigette. Marker is on rue du Phare, on the left when traveling east. Marker is on the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse station grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 rue du Phare, Rimouski QC G5M 1L8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Innovation (here, next to this marker); Les premiers phares / The first lighthouses (here, next to this marker); L'épave du/The Wreck of RMS Empress of Ireland (here, next to this marker); Vivre à / Daily Life at Pointe-au-Père (a few steps from this marker); Les premices / In the beginning (within shouting distance of this marker); Les signaux sonores / The sound signals (within shouting distance of this marker); Bienvenue / Welcome (within shouting distance of this marker); Témoins de l'automatisation de la station de phare (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rimouski.
Also see . . . Lieu historique national du Canada du Phare-de-Pointe-au-Père. (Submitted on January 9, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 4, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 94 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 9, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
