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It's likely the most-photographed lighthouse in Canada, and one of the top in North America. The little red and white tower at Peggy's Point, near Halifax, has become a Nova Scotia icon, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, who come for a little slice of Maritime life.
But those who brave the off-season gales and biting cold temperatures will notice something different about the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse — instead of its steady green glow, there's just a tiny flash now, coming from a funny looking hexagon with a little LED light on top.
The reason for the change is the weather, or rather, a weather event. On the 3rd and 4th of November, 2007, post tropical storm Noel came barreling over Nova Scotia, packing winds of up to 95 knots (109 mph). Peggy's Cove was hit hard with huge seas that tossed boulders onto the parking lot near the popular Sou'wester Restaurant and gift shop. The concrete lighthouse, built in 1915, was right in the line of fire as well. The sea smashed a window on the bottom level of the lighthouse, where Canada Post maintains a post office during the summer months.
Massive seas also tore up a concrete walkway to the lighthouse, containing the power cables for the tower. As a temporary measure, Coast Guard technicians installed a Tideland LED light to replace the tower's fourth order Fresnel drum lens.
There are rumblings that the Coast Guard will replace hydro power to the lighthouse. It would be the right thing
to do, given the light's importance as an ambassador to Nova Scotia and its wild coastline.
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