Lake Memphremagog is dotted with islands on both the American and Canadian sides. A total of about 26 islands have been listed in the past. According to some ancient documents, before being baptized, everyone wore a number from 1 to 26 from Newport, Vermont, to Magog. For the Three Sisters to be islands 22, 23 and 24, today’s Charest Island bore No. 25 and Old Witch Island, No. 26. Over the years, some of these islands have disappeared and become shoals, including Island No. 26 in Magog Bay.
In 1878, due to the increase in maritime traffic and several stranded boats on these shoals, the American and Canadian governments agreed to erect lighthouses on both shores of the lake. Nathan A. Beach of Georgeville built five of these for $975 on behalf of the Canadian government, including one on this island #26, then known as the Old Witch Island-Shoal. Why Old Whitch? Presumably because it disappeared when the water level rose and reappeared when the level went down.
During her life (1850-1892) the Mountain Maid suffered a number of incidents, including getting stuck on the American side at Whipple’s Point on Saturday, August 28, 1869 with passengers on board. The next morning, the Lady of the Lake (1867-1915), who had been on duty for two years, had to intervene to put them out of their predicament.
Almost twenty years later, the mountain girl will have an opportunity to return the favor. In fact, on July 11, 1888, the Lady of the Lake got bogged down on her arrival at Magog. Arriving at the Baie-de-Magog, with passengers on board and during a violent storm, the Lady ran aground on Old Witch Shoal Island, this former island that had become a shoal after the construction of the Francis Dam in 1883. The mountain maiden came to her aid and evacuated the desperate passengers, but it was not until the following Sunday, with the help of barges, that she managed to get them out of their difficult situation.
It was precisely on this shoal that the Grand Cru ran aground when she set off from one of her excursion destinations shortly after her launch in June 2011, with almost a hundred passengers on board. All were evacuated and the trip was postponed. Although the Canadian Coast Guard installs a mobile lighthouse there every year from May to October, the site remains a hazard to shipping.
Here is an excerpt from Julian Smith’s chart (Chart of Lake Memphremagog, 1938) showing the location of the lighthouse just off MacPherson Wharf. (Photo courtesy)