About lighthouses in Canada - Save Canada's Lighthouses

About Lighthouses In Canada

Many of Canada’s most historic and architecturally significant lighthouses are at risk of being lost to demolition and neglect.

And almost all of them belong to the Federal Government.

The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act was supposed to preserve Canada’s heritage lighthouses for future generations.

However, the intent of the Act was undermined earlier this year, when the Government declared more than 500 lighthouses – including many of the most historic ones – as ”surplus.”

Sign the petition to help save hundreds of irreplaceable lighthouses like these:

Seal Island Lighthouse, Nova Scotia

Built in 1830, it is deteriorating rapidly.
It’s the oldest operating wooden lighthouse in the country.
For decades, it has lighted one of the most dangerous points on Canada’s Atlantic coast, providing an essential service for fishermen and for ships crossing the Bay of Fundy to the eastern United States.
Although classified as a “Recognized” structure by Government, its fate remains in limbo.

Hope Island Lighthouse, Georgian Bay, Ontario

The square white wooden tower with attached keeper’s house was erected in 1884 – one of many lights built to ensure safety on the heavily travelled shipping routes of the Great Lakes.
Sadly, over half the lighthouses in Georgian Bay have been destroyed in the past three decades.
For many years the lighthouse sat roofless and deteriorating, with broken windows and missing siding. A community group has stabilized the light tower, but they are struggling to raise funds to carry on.

Race Rocks Lighthouse, British Columbia

Built in 1860, it was a vital navigational aid for ships bound to Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle.
Built of granite and sandstone, it was the only stone lighthouse constructed on Canada’s West coast.
The sandstone of the tower has eroded from the ill-effects of salt and water in its exposed location.
Repaired in 2009, Race Rocks is on the government’s surplus list – but the cost and scale of upkeep required are beyond the means of most community groups and volunteers.