No Money To Paint Iconic Lighthouse (Updated)

One of Nova Scotia’s most visited lighthouses will be left without a paint job, even though it’s in desperate need of one. The land based lighthouse, easily accessible to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, was denied the $25,000 from the Department of Fisheries funds to scrape and repaint its tower. The DFO is in agreement that the lighthouse needs some cosmetic work, but the stimulus money isn’t going to be used on it, preferring to reserve funding those lighthouse that are structurally unsound, which Peggys Cove is not.

Local residents and business people understandably take exception to this, and can’t understand why, out of the millions of dollars, this lighthouse, a symbol of the area, is being left to deteriorate. “For this iconic structure to be allowed to deteriorate to the shocking condition it’s now in is absolutely disgraceful. I’m beyond outrage,” said Shelley Webb, former chairwoman of the St. Margarets Bay Tourism Association in a story at Canada.com. “I’m quite confident that a lighthouse that looks like it’s been used for cannonball practice is not what the people are expecting as a photo opportunity in Peggys Cove.” Paint is peeling, rust stains are evident, and the concrete is beginning to crumble.

Ottawa reverses course. Peggys Cove to get painted after all. Apparently the outcry was too much for the legislative body. Conservative MP Gerald Keddy told the House of Commons today (June 12) that the federal government has ordered the iconic lighthouse in Nova Scotia to be painted this year. See Canada.Com and CTV.ca for details.

Jurisdictional Issues Blamed

Part of the problem, as mentioned above, is that the stimulus money the government has provided is being reserved for structural integrity problems. And the other entity, the Coast Guard, that is responsible for upkeep on the lighthouse, claims its responsibility ends with making sure the light keeps working. And it is, so therefore the Coast Guard won’t do anything about it. “The main function of the lighthouse is to be an aid to navigation for the safety of mariners and, right now, it’s fulfilling that function,” said Robert MacDonald, the Department of Fisheries real estate director for the Maritimes.

In a story at cbcnews.ca, he said “We recognize that Peggys Cove is an icon from a tourist point of view, but our funding is limited. We have about 70 of these structures throughout the Maritimes region, and it’s difficult to keep up with the esthetic requirements of all the lighthouses” MacDonald further stated the DFO would be willing to partner with local groups that are willing to provide the labor. However, “painting a lighthouse isn’t a job for amateurs.”

It may be next summer before DFO finds the time and money to spruce up the popular lighthouse. In the meantime, Webb said business owners in the area are upset with the lighthouse’s state of disrepair and have overheard tourists say they are shocked by its condition. She said squabbling over an amount like $25,000 in the middle of the tourist season, considering the site on St. Margarets Bay attracts over half a million tourists to the region every year, is outrageous. “To say that the light is operational and what the structure looks like is unimportant is an unacceptable position to take,” she said.

Fisgard Lighthouse Fares Better In Funding

But on the other side of the country, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Fisgard Lighthouse has been targeted to receive $1.56 million for infrastructure repairs and facility upgrades. Federal Minister Gary Lunn, MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands, made the announcement at the lighthouse. He stated the Fisgard Light is one of three heritage sites in B.C. that will receive a total of more than $3.1 million for infrastructure improvements. Lunn said the funding is an investment in tourism.

The funding at Fisgard Lighthouse will go toward new exhibits, upgrades to the park’s accessibility, a new fire prevention system and electrical upgrades, according to a story in the Times Colonist. It will also add such amenities as water fountains and bathrooms. A lighthouse keeper’s residence will be replicated inside the lighthouse. John Aldag, manager of national historic sites with Parks Canada, said the lighthouse will be closed throughout the summer, starting immediately, and that he hopes to finish construction and reopen to the public next spring.

And In Central Canada…

Port Credit Lighthouse, on the banks of the Credit River in Mississauga, Ontario, will also be getting a facelift this year. Although only a 1991 replica of the original which was destroyed by fire in 1936, and now sitting atop a sewage pumping station, the lighthouse is a popular photographic subject. A logo of it graces many of the businesses in the town and is a draw for tourists, as most lighthouses are.

“The facelift is part of the building’s natural life cycle maintenance and will address current functional, safety and accessibility deficiencies to improve the longevity of the building,” said project coordinator Andrew Mills. He said the architectural shape and color scheme will be preserved.The building beneath it is home to the local Business Improvement Association and Tourist Bureau.

Is Tourism Important…Or Not?

It appears some areas of Canada value the tourist dollar much more highly than others. Nova Scotia, home to many lighthouses, has a poor record of maintaining them. Without the efforts of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, most of them would probably have crumbled completely by now. And the remains torn down by the Coast Guard, whose unofficial but hidden purpose is to “get rid of lighthouses.” While Nova Scotia may be a working province, with their fisheries, lobstering, lumbering and other hard living occupations, that’s no reason not to extend the hand out to rake in that tourist money. Halifax is a cosmopolitan city, and a popular stop for cruise ships. As is Yarmouth.

So if the DOF won’t lend a helping hand, I’m hoping the local folks will take the matters in their own hands. And with any luck, donations can be sought to raise the necessary funds. Just remember, it really isn’t as simple as slapping on a coat of paint from the local hardware store. But if historic preservation guidelines are followed, and maybe a little help from the NSLPS comes their way (ask…I’ll bet they will assist with their knowledge), Peggys Cove Lighthouse just might shine as bright as her beacon in the near future.

Photo Credits:

• Peggys Cove Lighthouse by RWKphotos. Some rights reserved.
• Peggys Cove Lighthouse Base by mtlp. Some rights reserved.
• Fisgard Lighthouse by Savannah Grandfather. Some rights reserved.
• Point Credit Lighthouse by knobbywheels. Some rights reserved.

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