Huron-Kinloss council

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The lightkeeper's cottage and museum remain open, said Huron-Kinloss parks and recreation director Mike Fair who met with Parks Canada Tuesday (July 6) to go over the national historic site and look for possible options besides closing down the whole thing.

He said the federal agency is concerned about the structural integrity of the tower after rocks were discovered outside the fenced area. Canopies and fencing had been installed to keep the public safe during tours of the lighthouse and the adjacent lightkeeper's cottage and museum.

Fair said there is likely concern that the Point Clark Lighthouse doesn't suffer the same fate as the Nottawasaga Lighthouse (also an Imperial tower) where a large chunk of the northeast outer wall crashed to the ground in December, 2004. In that case, the Coast Guard had listed the building off -limits to its personnel in 2003, citing the danger of going inside the structure.

In 2005, the Town of Collingwood and Jim Kilgour, head of the Lighthouse Restoration Committee, received federal money to stabilize the Nottawasaga Lighthouse and are in the process of fixing it up. To check out pictures of the Nottawasaga Lighthouse, click here

Earlier this year, Parks Canada received a federal grant of $500,000 to fix up the Point Clark Lighthouse. The work includes repairing the stonework's masonry and mortar to preserve the integrity of the structure, repointing the limestone
exterior of the lighthouse and doing some work on the museum. The work is to begin this fall and must be completed by March 31, 2011.

Fair said the project will also include further study of the lantern assembly at the top of the lighthouse, the stairwells and guide rails inside, and the platform at the top, with further repairs to be done, as required.

The Point Clark Lighthouse was built in 1859 to warn sailors of the shoal extending 3.2 kilometres offshore. Its elegant proportions and limestone exterior are typical of the six "Imperial" towers built in the region, a lighthouse style rarely seen elsewhere in Canada.

Acquired by Parks Canada in 1967 to commemorate the vital role of lighthouses in navigation on the Great Lakes, it still serves its primary function - an aid to navigation. The lightkeeper's dwelling, built at the same time as the lighthouse, is now operated as a museum by Huron-Kinloss Township.

Fair emphasizes that the museum remains open and can be viewed, as well as the outside of the tower, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days per week. For information, call 519-395-2494. 

Point Clark Lighthouse tower is closed for the summer

The Lightkeeper's Cottage and Museum remain open

The two full-time, two part-time and two casual employees continue to work at the lighthouse until the situation is sorted out, said Fair.

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Thursday, July 08, 2010