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The name Cascumpeque,
Cascumpec
or Kaskemek as it was originally spelled has its roots with the Mi'kmaq of the area and means
"bold sandy shores".
The Yankee Gale was so called because the lives and property lost for the most part belonged to the men of New England who had discovered the valuable fisheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The Cascumpeque Main Light, also known as the Sandhill Light,
was first established in 1856. In the winter of 1906 it was dragged across the ice by 16 teams of horses. The intended location was further south, but the structure became caught in a snowdrift, and that is the location where the lighthouse remains to this day.
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Our struggle tells the tale of a small seaside
community, a story of heroics and bravery, struggle for survival, disaster, tragedies and lost lives.
The chapters of our book are filled with amazing scenery, incredible experiences, and awesome adventure.
After thriving for nearly a century as a sea rescue station, the building is now
dedicated to exhibiting and interpreting the heroics and
disasters of days gone by. The former Sea Rescue Station is a tribute to local
heroes, the sea, the past, and the cultural history of the people of Northport.
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| Early Settlement |
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Discover interesting facts about the first attempts at
settlement in the Northport area, dating back to the
mid-1780s. Find out what are the origins of names like Cascumpeque, Northport and Alberton. |
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| Disasters & Heroics |
| This coastline has many stories to tell: the Yankee Gale,
the August Gale of 1873, the terrible gale of 1906 that lead
to establishment of a Sea Rescue Centre with boathouse and slip at Alberton South (Northport as it was named on the Marine Charts).
Learn about the disasters and heroics of days gone by. |
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| Shipwrecks |
The Yankee Gale, a fierce storm on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, erupted on Friday, October 3, 1851. The day started out calm and clear but before night a heavy swell came from the east which, in the absence of wind, was a mystery - by midnight the wind and rain were heavy. The climax of this storm extended
over 18 hours. Casualties from this unexplained weather event were numerous, making eighty-three widows and leaving three hundred children fatherless.
The August Gale was a fierce storm that took place on August 24, 1873. Within a matter of hours, the evening evolved from a pleasant temperature of 70°F and a fresh breeze in the air to a temperature of 47°F with raging seas and driving rain. Devastation was widespread – several vessels wrecked, some driven hard aground and many lives were
lost.
Visit the interpretive centre to learn more about these shipwrecks. |
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| Cascumpeque Bay Lighthouses |
| Learn more about the lighthouses surrounding Northport
Harbour - their purpose, their keepers. |
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