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For almost 60 years, the four alignment beacons guided sailors coming from Lake St-Louis or Lake St-François. Positioned in pairs at the canal's entrances, their overlapping lights helped captains steer their vessels along the correct approach to avoid the river's rapids.

Installed in 1900, these beacons originally ran on gas, before being converted to electricity in 1903. In this photo, Soulanges Canal employees are gathered at the top of the Lock No. 2 beacon at Pointe-des-Cascades, during an unknown event.

Thanks to joined efforts from the Société historique and the municipality of Pointe-des-Cascades, the beacon was moved to Parc des Ancres (an outdoor museum about the canal) in 2003 and fully restored in 2020.