Councillor beckons for beacon to be funded as historic Port Burwell Lighthouse sits in limbo
A year after being shorn up to prevent collapse, the future of the historic lighthouse in Port Burwell, Ont. again looks a bit dim.
Cables and a steel stabilizer ring still support the 184-year-old Port Burwell structure.
In 2023, $100,000 was spent to ensure it would not collapse.
“The entire spruce is physically leaning like the Tower of Pisa,” said Daniel Holmes of Heritage Restorations in an April 2023 interview with CTV News London.
At the time, Bayham Mayor Ed Ketchabaw had hoped the full restoration of the lighthouse would begin as early as 2024.
But according to the local councillor for Port Burwell, that won’t happen. Tim Emerson said the cost is prohibitive.
Bayham Township Coun. Tim Emerson is seen standing in front of the historic lighthouse in Port Burwell, Ont. on March 18, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)“It’s estimated to be a million and a half dollars,” he confirmed.
That is a lot of money for a municipality already saddled in debt from the HMCS Ojibwa. The troubled sub-project sunk the finances of the municipality half a decade ago.
Bayham pays more than $330,000 a year to service its loan on the submarine. More than $4-million of a $6-million loan commitment is reported unpaid.
Emerson said the lighthouse project delay does, in part, relate to the loan. Still, he intends to ask council to support a $90,000 engineering study into its restoration.
If not completed, he fears the lighthouse may not qualify for any sudden federal or provincial grants.
The HMCS Ojibwa is seen in Port Burwell, Ont. on March 18, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)He said that is vital to secure a “Historic landmark of national importance.”
“Many of us here feel this is an important reflection of our community and of our past," said Emerson.
While the restoration of the lighthouse remains a 2025 Bayham budget priority, municipal administrator Thomas Thayer said council could choose to defer it to later years.
But Emerson intends to argue the lighthouse project and some other tourism-related initiatives cannot wait.
“If we can pull these things together, it would be a better place for everybody to visit and enjoy themselves at the beach,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Aviation experts say Russia's air defence fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns
Aviation experts said Thursday that Russian air defence fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.
Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect
The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who had been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified.
Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' dies after falling from moving vehicle
Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM.
Pizza deliverer in Florida charged with stabbing pregnant woman at motel after tip dispute
A pizza deliverer in central Florida has been charged with pushing her way into a motel room with an accomplice and stabbing a pregnant woman after a dispute over a tip, authorities said.
Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP
As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books.
Cat food that caused bird-flu death of Oregon pet was distributed in B.C.: officials
Pet food contaminated with bird flu – which killed a house cat in Oregon – was distributed and sold in British Columbia, according to officials south of the border.
Unwanted gift card in your stocking? Don't let it go to waste
Gift cards can be a quick and easy present for those who don't know what to buy and offer the recipient a chance to pick out something nice for themselves, but sometimes they can still miss the mark.
Sinkhole prompts lane closures on Interstate 80 in New Jersey
A sinkhole that opened up Thursday along Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey forced authorities to close the heavily travelled highway's eastbound lanes.
Boxing Day in Canada: Small retailers fear big shopping day won't make up for tough year
It’s one of the busiest shopping days of the year: Boxing Day sees thousands of people head to malls and big box stores to find great deals. But it's not so simple for smaller shops.