The Saugeen Times

Moving a Range Light requires cooperation

Heritage

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For a video of part of the lift click here

On Saturday, December 5, the Stokes Bay Range Light left the only home it has known for 103 years to move south to a new location.

In late summer, 2009 Ontario Parks (who owns the land surrounding the Stokes Bay Range Light, locally known as Irish Harbour) ,informed Bruce County staff that the Canadian Coast Guard had plans to replace the historic 1903 structure.

Since the Stokes Bay tower is more than one hundred years old, and due to its age and structural deficiencies, it was felt that it could no longer be safely maintained by Canadian Coast Guard personnel. "The structure must be removed to upgrade this important navigational aid, which helps protect the safety of boaters along the Bruce Peninsula," said Doug Jibb, Construction Technologist with the Canadian Coast Guard

Given the County’s deep commitment to protecting and preserving Bruce Coast marine history, it was obvious that the structure must be saved and relocated. Therefore, a plan was hatched to move the structure to the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre so that it could be incorporated into the Bruce Coast Marine historical exhibit so that visitors could explore and learn about the rich Bruce Coast marine history.

"This donation to the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre," says Jibb, "efficiently addresses the CCG’s requirement to maintain its navigational aids system, while ensuring that this historically significant structure is not only permanently preserved but also made more accessible to the public."

The Canadian Coast Guard expressed complete cooperation to safely remove the structure but, the challenge was in the location of the Range Light as it was only accessible by water or air.

To remove the structure would require the use of a ‘heavy lift’ helicopter capable of lifting the 8500 lb. building, safely to the staging area of the Black Creek Provincial Park parking lot, for further transportation to the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre by transport float.

The closest helicopter of this type was a Sikorsky S61 owned by National Helicopters in Vaughan, Ontario but, the unit itself, was stationed in Ohio, USA. National Helicopters, the Canadian Coast Guard and Bruce County developed a game plan to lift the structure in two pieces (the lantern room and the main body). Work commitments for the helicopter in the United Sates limited the lift to two dates, December 4 or 5. The unit would stage out of the Wiarton airport and be fully supported by a ground crew from National Helicopters and Rigarus Construction (the tower contractor) to perform the lift.

The lift operation was done in four segments, two for the actual lighthouse structure and two for the contractor’s equipment. Once on the ground, the structure was then loaded onto a transport heavy equipment float operated by Paul Bridge Construction and will be trucked to Southampton for winter storage. Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre is to begin plans to have the lighthouse incorporated into the museum's Marine Heritage theme.

The classic style Range Light is similar to structures found throughout Bruce County, including Tobermory, at the uppermost tip of the Bruce Peninsula, in Southampton and Lion's Head.

Since it was erected on metal stilts/platform the range-light wooden structure was protected from rot and moisture, leaving it in remarkable condition. It has been proposed that the bottom structure be restored and then the lighthouse top will be remounted for an overall height of approximately 72 feet , to be located at the Museum.

Bruce County has been a long time member, supporter and promoter of the Bruce Coast Lighthouse Tour www.brucecoastlighthouses.com and is committed to working with marine heritage organizations to protect the heritage assets along the coastline.

The Lighthouse tour consists of 13 marine heritage sites, four of which are the famous 150 year-old John Brown Imperial Towers. Lighthouse Tours have been identified as a ‘core trip motivator’ for Bruce County, meaning that segments of the tourism market will travel great distances for an authentic marine heritage experience. Visitors to Bruce Coast Lighthouses, from throughout North America and from around the world, are thrilled with the accessibility and diversity of Bruce County Lighthouses.

It is expected that the move and preservation of the Stokes Bay Range Light will add even more authenticity to Bruce County’s rich marine history.

As with any undertaking of this size, it took several organizations to see it through to completion. Among the partners that were involved were:

The County of Bruce

Canadian Coast Guard

Ontario Parks

Bruce Coast Lighthouse Partners

Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre

National Helicopters

Rigarus Construction

Paul Bridge Construction

Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Edwards Aviation