Lighthouses of Atlantic Canada: A Pictorial Travel Guide

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This extensive, detailed guide features more than 250 lighthouses in
Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward
Island. There are several colour photos of each and a map pinpointing
all the lightstations in 15 different areas.

The text is packed with factual information on the different types of
lighthouses, how they work, their various purposes, location, setting,
and structural components. Foghorns and buoys also receive attention.

The history, terminology, changing technology, and romance of the
lightstation come to life as Baird’s love of the subject overflows
every page. He has studied lighthouses for 60 years; his mastery of the
subject is unchallenged, and equalled only by his passion for it.

The entry for each lighthouse includes a description of its size,
construction style, and materials; the date it was built; some human
interest stories; directions for finding it; and a few casual comments
on facilities in the area, such as tourist attractions and
accommodations. In this way the book becomes a practical guide for 15
different driving vacations.

Baird’s photography, like his text, is disciplined, well edited, and
distilled down to a high-quality exhibit of over 350 shots, each of
which stands up to careful scrutiny. He has captured the isolated,
windswept settings, the pounding surf, the formidable cliffs, and the
banks of wildflowers, while keeping the architectural uniqueness of the
lightstations front and centre.