The Early Years / Les Premières Années

English: , Imagine being aboard a ship on a dark, stormy night. The wind is howling fiercely, pushing large waves over the sides of your vessel. You are at the mercy of the elements. Picture a lack of navigational aids, creating a powerful sense of disorientation as you search desperately in the darkness for any indication of your ship's location. It seems like a nightmare; unfortunately, for the many seafarers sailing around the coast of Prince Edward Island in the days before lighthouses, it was exactly that., Lighthouses were not always a common feature of the Island's landscape. Prior to 1845, our intricate coastline lacked such structures, making navigation challenging. Merchants and shipowners, whose very livelihood depended upon the safety of their vessels, and the crews that sailed them, continually faced the worry of a shipwreck. Even one could result in financial ruin, not to mention loss of life. Those employed in the fishing industry equally had much to fear., Coastal communities were affected by this issue, particularly in Nova Scotia. In the early nineteenth century, its government erected a number of lighthouses. To cut costs, nearby colonies were asked to contribute money for construction and maintenance - after all, they would be using the lighthouses as well. Given its proximity, Prince Edward Island naturally invested in these projects., . Between 1815 and 1839, Prince Edward Island contributed funds to lighthouses on Cranberry and St. Paul Islands off the coast of Cape Breton and Scatarie Island off the coast of Nova Scotia., . Prince Edward Island's contributions came from a tax known as a Light Duty. It was charged by the tonne on all registered ships departing from customs houses across the province., . Between 1770 and 1845, an estimated 50-100 ships were wrecked in Island waters. ,