Establishment and Role of St Lawrence River Pilots National Historic Event of Canada, Pointe-au-Père, Quebec
Posted by: 
colincan
N 48° 31.042 W 068° 28.138
19U E 539214 N 5373942
Professional river pilots have played an important role in safe navigation of the treacherous St Lawrence River for over 350 years. Pointe-au-Père used to be the pilot station but that function is now carried out at Les Escoumins on the North Shore.
Waymark Code: WMTPQ6
Location: Québec, Canada
Date Posted: 12/25/2016
Views: 18
Ships arriving from foreign points of origin have employed river pilots on the St Lawrence River from as far back as the 17th century. Hydrographic surveys and the establishment of lighthouses date to that era. Shoals and strong currents make the estuary particularly hazardous for navigation. Competition to be hired on as a pilot was somewhat of a free for all until 1860 when the United Parliament of Canada passed legislation to provide for a professional corporation of pilots. To-day all foreign vessels over 115 feet in length and Canadian vessels over 210 feet in length are obliged to hire a pilot. Several pilots will act in a relay as a ship carries on up the St Lawrence to the heart of the continent. In 1961 Les Escoumins on the North Shore replaced Pointe-au-Père as the pilots’ station of embarkation. The Establishment and Role of The St Lawrence River Pilots designation was made by the federal government in 2000 and a plaque erected in 2002.
Classification: National Historic Event
Province or Territory: Quebec
Location - City name/Town name: Pointe-au-Père
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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