Five Islands Lighthouse Park

A recent addition to our bookshelf, “Lighthouses & Lights of Nova Scotia – Complete Guide” is another great sourcebook to plan short or extended trips around our fabulous province. Part 1 in the book covers the lighthouses along the Fundy Shore, our own backyard. The Parrsboro Lighthouse I see every time I head to First Beach and the Pier. Another great destination is Five Islands Lighthouse Park, a 20-minute drive from home.

Five Islands Lighthouse was built in 1914 under contract to A. L. Mury of West Arichat at a cost of $ 750. The first lighthouse keeper was Cyrus MacBurnie. His annual wage amounted to $ 115.67.

The lighthouse was moved in 1952 due to the continuous erosion of the red sandstone cliffs. The coastguard extinguished the light in 1993 at which time the lighthouse threatened to topple off the cliffs into the Bay of Fundy due to the collapse of a retaining wall. A community group led by Ronald MacBurnie (whose family kept the lighthouse for over 5 decades) and Anita Murphy came to the rescue. The community purchased the structure in November 1996 and moved it to its current location where it has been lovingly restored.

The beach is always a draw. It is fairly level and one of the beaches that is easy to navigate. I rarely encounter other visitors and the view of Five Islands is spectacular. We visited and walked the beach on December 28th at low tide. The winter light was magical and the everchanging clouds made for the perfect backdrop for Moose, Diamond, Long, Egg and Pinnacle Islands (from left to right).

I never just observe what is in the distance no matter how wonderful and magical the light might be: I am always interested in what is underfoot or right in front of me. A few icy patches drew my attention and demanded to be captured. These disappeared with the next high tide. I love the ever-changing coastline… no matter what the season, the time of day or weather the beaches offer limitless opportunities!

Thanks for tagging along over the past 7 months. Best wishes for a New Year’s Eve: May you chase out the cobwebs and negative vibes of 2021 and open your home and mind wide for a better year ahead. I am focusing on the future, the new year that will hopefully put an end to the worldwide pandemic, the stress, hardships and anguish that has affected all of us on various levels.

I read something a couple of days ago… It went something like this: “Let’s not wish each other a happy new year or best of luck for 2022! At the stroke of midnight let’s all shout JUMANJI to exit this crazy game!” That sounded like a good suggestion.

Jumanji to all! See you in 2022, best wishes, Anna