Chris Mills

In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Canadian author and former lighthouse keeper Chris Mills. Chris is originally from Ontario, but he has lived most of his life in Nova Scotia. He built his first lighthouse when he was six years old, and landed his first three-week job as a relief assistant on Cross Island, near Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, at the age of 24. Between 1989 and 1997, Chris worked as a light keeper at 11 different light stations in three provinces on both the east and west coasts of Canada.

Chris with the "lighthouse" he built when he was six years old.(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)

Chris was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society. For years, he has recorded the oral histories of light keepers and their families. Chris has authored two books: Vanishing Lights and Lighthouse Legacies: Stories of Nova Scotia’s Lightkeeping Families.

Chris Mills served as a lighthouse keeper in Canada for 9 years at 11 light stations (Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)

Chris lives in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia. He works for the Canadian Coast Guard as a deckhand on a lifeboat. He’s also had a career as a radio DJ and news announcer. His observational skills as a writer and radio commentator, combined with his experience as a light keeper and preservationist, give him a unique and very special perspective on lighthouses.