Lighthouse History
The Bear River Lighthouse sits at the mouth of Bear River in Smith’s Cove, Nova Scotia. It is an original structure that was built in 1905 and was the first and only lighthouse on this site. It has a rich history and served as a functioning lighthouse to guide marine traffic in the Annapolis Basin and into and out of Bear River until it was decommissioned. In addition to being a designated Municipal Heritage Property it is also a designated Heritage Lighthouse under the Federal Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act as of February of 2015 for its support of the development of the scallop fishing and lumber industries, two significant economic drivers for the nearby town of Digby.
The Bear River Lighthouse is a wooden square timbered tower with sloping sides measuring 9.8 meters (32 feet) in height and stands on an embankment 45 feet above the high-water mark and about 100 feet back from the water’s edge. The Lighthouse was automated in 1973 and decommissioned in 2001. After the Lighthouse was decommissioned the site became overgrown by scrub brush and trees and the Lighthouse fell into disrepair. The Smith’s Cove community was interested in preserving the Lighthouse but it would take almost 20 years for the ownership of the Lighthouse to finally transfer to the Municipality of Digby in the spring of 2021.
