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In 1856 the British Government's Trinity House
installed a lighthouse at Cape Race point in Newfoundland.
In 1908, when a larger lighthouse was built at Cape Race,
the lighthouse was disassembled and the tower was shipped to Nova Scotia,
to be reused at Cape North, Cape Breton Island on the Cabot Strait
The Cape North Lighthouse served a very busy sealane
used by cargo vessels, fishing and mail delivery boats and immigrant ships.
Before being converted to electric power, the light was powered by a coal oil lamp
and the comples Fresnel lens, floating in a bed of mercury
and turned by a clockwork mechanism.
The red checkerboard pattern was chosen to make sure the lighthouse was visible in dense fogs and against the often snowy landscape.
The lighthouse was acquired by the Canada Science and Technology Museum in 1980.
It stands 29 metres tall and overlooks museum grounds.
The Fresnel lens, made by Chance Brothers in England
is so effective that a single 60 watt bulb is enough to send beams of lights,
across the entire neighbourhood.
During summer months, guided tours take museum visitors to the interior of this landmark of Canada's maritime history.