Located off Exit 25 or 26, HWY 103

1586 Sandy Point Road, Shelburne, Nova Scotia

Here are some things you might not know about our lighthouse and community!

• It used to be called “The Sand Spit” because it is situated on the sand spit extending west from the point.
• It is accessible by foot at low tide.
• Sandy Point got the nickname “Muck Town” because years ago the roads weren’t paved and it was very mucky. 

    The Sandy Point Lighthouse was first built in 1873 and was located on a pier. It burned down and was rebuilt and relocated in 1903 to its current location. It is built on a concrete base on a sand spit in Shelburne Harbour.  Over the years there has been work done on the lighthouse to keep it in great shape. Nature plays its role and the storms and high seas slowly damage the lighthouse making it necessary for repairs. There were major repairs done in 1960 but after that, there were no major repairs until 2008. In 2008 there were over $100,000 of repairs done to the lighthouse.

When the lighthouse was built, everything was run by lighthouse keepers.  Norm Butler, Edward Goodwin, James Stephens, Ralph Butler, and Lawrence Holmes were some of the lighthouse keepers for Sandy Point Lighthouse.  Robert Bush was one of the last keepers from 1953-1984. Robert Bush was appointed lighthouse keeper in 1953 after his father in law served for 32 years. The light keeper’s job was to row out to turn the light on at night and off in the morning, when the fog horn would sound they were responsible for turning it off. At high tide, they had to row out to the lighthouse in order to do their job. The keepers also had to replace bulbs when needed.  

The lighthouse keepers were no longer need when everything in the lighthouse became automatic. There is now no fog horn on the lighthouse anymore, but the light still shines and can be seen for 17 kilometers.  The lighthouse is not lit for navigational purposes but for more of a sentimental attachment. “I enjoy sitting in my sun porch and just admiring the beauty of it, I hope we always have it,” says Genievre Holmes of Sandy Point.

The lighthouse is a very important part of the community and it is imperative that it remain a beautiful and proud structure to be enjoyed by the citizens, future generations, and the tourists who visit each day.

Community Breakfast

1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, 8-11 am
$10.00 Adult / $5.00 Child
Includes: Juice, Tea/Coffee, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Pancakes, Hash Browns, Baked Beans, Toast

If you are interested in renting the hall, call Donna: 902-875-4259.

We cater to weddings, family get-togethers, meetings, special occasions, and group suppers.

The Sandy Point Community Center and Lighthouse are owned, operated, and maintained by the Sandy Point Recreation Group. This is a nonprofit organization for the local Sandy Point community providing benevolence, social events, and fundraising along with facilities supporting a significant tourist population.

The subscribers to the memorandum of association of the registered society and such other persons as admitted to membership in accordance with the by-laws constitute the Society. The following are admitted to regular membership in the Society: any individual over the age of 19 years residing in, or having a residence in Sandy Point who upholds the objectives of the Society and contributes to the support of the society an amount to be determined at the general meeting. The following are admitted as Associate non-voting members in the Society: any individual over the age of 19 years residing in Shelburne County and who contributes to the society an amount to be determined at the general meeting. Associate members shall have the same rights as other members except the right to vote or hold office.