Keeper Chris Mills at Gannet Rock Lighthouse
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
If you like lighthouses and are fascinated by the solitude, drama and romance that surrounds them, then you will not want to miss the presentation – “A Lightkeeping Journey” by former Canadian lighthouse keeper and author Chris Mills on Saturday, June 28th, 7 pm at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The program is sponsored by the American Lighthouse Foundation and its local chapter, Friends of Rockland Harbor Lights.
Chris Mills exemplifies the notion, “you can take the keeper out of the lighthouse, but you cannot take the lighthouse out of the keeper.” From a child through today, lighthouses have continued to have a profound impact on his life. In some ways, he has never left the lights.
Chris Mills pictured with the lighthouse he built at the age of 6 years old
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
Chris built his first lighthouse when he was six and a half years old. From that point on, he never looked back. He served as a lightkeeper for the Canadian Coast Guard in three provinces from 1989 to 1997 and is a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Today, Chris continues to visit, photograph and research lighthouses in Nova Scotia and beyond.
Chris Mills was a keeper at Cross Island Light Station
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
In his presentation, “A Lightkeeping Journey,” Chris will explore the history of Canadian lighthouses, interwoven with his own firsthand lightkeeping experiences as an assistant and acting principal keeper on 11 light stations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia.
He will also explore the “magic monotony” of lighthouse work, along with the storms, close calls, ghosts, and the social dynamic of keeping a light on a rock so small you could throw a pebble from one end to the other.
An aerial view of the wave-swept Gannet Rock Lighthouse
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
This entertaining presentation features more than just dramatic photography. Chris will further illustrate his talk with audio clips of fog horns and the voices of the people who kept the lights burning for the safety of all in a lively manner that is sure to delight all in attendance.
There is a suggested donation of $5 for the program. In addition, there will be a silent auction filled with great items such as Cape Air tickets, local photography and more that will help raise funds for the ongoing preservation of Rockland Breakwater and Owls Head lighthouses.
The Samoset Resort is located at 220 Warrenton Street in Rockport. For more information about the program, “A Lightkeeping Journey on June 28th at 7 pm, call the American Lighthouse Foundation at (207) 594-4174.
Chris Mills served as a lighthouse keeper in Canada for 9 years at 11 light stations
(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
