The Gannet Rock Lighthouse is a Canadian lighthouse located on a rocky islet south of Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy. It was first lit in 1831 and was staffed until 1996. It was solarized in 2002 and remains operational in 2023. It was declared "surplus to requirements" by the Canadian Coast Guard in 2010 and is no longer being maintained. Gannet Rock in the 19th century In 1824 the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick passed a bill requiring that a lighthouse be built south of Grand Manan. Dangerous shoals in the area were a hazard to ships entering the Bay of Fundy en route to the port of Saint John, New Brunswick. The Commissioners of Lighthouses determined that Gannet Rock would be the best location for the lighthouse, for which £1000 had been allocated. The rock islet south of Grand Manan is high and approximately long at high tide. The lighthouse was built in 1831 and the light was first lit in December of that year. The six-story tapered octagonal lighthouse tower was built of hand-hewn timber. The exterior was shingled and painted with vertical black and white stripes. The original tower was tall. The light was originally flashing red but the lantern glass was changed in 1843 to make the light white and thus more visible. The signal consisted of 11 seconds of white light alternating with 9 seconds of darkness. A mixture of whale oil and turpentine, along with other flammable substances, was burned in the lamp. As well as the lighthouse tower, a dwelling for the lighthouse keeper was constructed in 1831. The cost of building both structures was £630. The house was rebuilt in 1884 and again in 1887. In 1845 a tall granite retaining wall was built to safeguard the structure. Other improvements, both made in 1840, were the provision of a signal gun and the digging of a chute in the rock to allow the lighthouse keeper to lower and raise his boat. Infrastructure changes in the 20th century In 1905 a further tall concrete wall was added to tower's base and its height was increased to seven storeys. A new lantern was built to house a second-order Fresnel lens. Pressurized petroleum vapour was burned in the lamp, producing a light with an intensity of 85,000 candlepower, reputedly second only to that of the Eddystone Lighthouse. In 1907 the light station acquired