Rose Blanche, Cains Island, FI R 10s 15.2m 8M

Today's lighthouses warn sailors of shoals and dangerous shorelines under all weather conditions. Day and night, rain or shine, these stations stand out from their surroundings with contrasting forms and colours, making their presence known by powerful beacons and foghorns. Many also emit radio or radar signals. These stamps, which illustrate four modern navigational aid stations, complete our 1984-85 series on historic and modern Lighthouses of Canada. This lighthouse, which looks like a big white box with horizontal black stripes, is located on Cains Island, a rocky outcrop off the southwest coast of Newfoundland. Its red light, visible for 14.8 km in clear weather, guides the many fishing boat that work this area. Its foghorns are in operation about 2000 hours a year, one of the highest averages in the country. Montreal designer Louis-André Rivard chose an approach that comes naturally to him - that of a sailor - to illustrate the second stamp issue commemorating Lighthouses of Canada. The designs feature four modern lighthouses as viewed from the open sea. The inscriptions reproduced on each stamp are the same as those a sailor might find in studying marine maps and other navigational aid publications, giving details on the lighthouse's beacon. They indicate the light's rhythm, colour, height above sea level, and the distance from which it can be seen. The inscriptions also note the communications equipment available for use in the lighthouses. For example, in the case of the Haut-fond light, the inscriptions convey the following meanings: Fl 2½s: flashes a white light every 2½ seconds; 25.3m: elevation of light in metres above sea level; 20M: visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km) in clear weather.