Barry Porter was born into a farming family in Porterville, on the north coast of Newfoundland, Canada. After working as a welder, Barry applied to be a relief lighthouse keeper with the Canadian Coast Guard. He spent the next 23 years working as a lightkeeper in four different locations. He has written about his colorful career in a new book, Adventures of a Lightkeeper.
Stephanie Collins writes in the Miramichi Reader about Barry’s book: “Adventures of A Lightkeeper by Barry Porter is, quite simply, a romantic recounting of the maritime lifestyle of light keeping on the rugged northeast coastline of Newfoundland. Written with passion and great respect for the solitary life such a profession brings, Porter’s book opens the door to these beautiful beacons of light and provides an exclusive tour of these lonely behemoths and the mystique for which they have become famous.”
This is part 3 of a three part interview.
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Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org