Point Clark, Ontario

A new place I want to visit. Milky



First lit on April 1, 1859, Point Clark Lighthouse is one of six Imperial towers built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay between 1855 and 1859 by John Brown. The 87-foot tower was constructed of limestone quarried in nearby Inverhuron and warns mariners of a dangerous shoal located three kilometers offshore. The walls of the lighthouse taper from a thickness of five feet at the base to two feet at the top. 
In 1967, the lighthouse was declared a national historic site, a first for an Ontario lighthouse. 


In 2011, a $622,000 contract was awarded for the restoration of Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site. On announcing the action, Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, said "Last year, Parks Canada developed a plan to restore the Point Clark Lighthouse and reopen it to visitors. Today I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is contributing to preservation of this regional icon of marine heritage." 


The work, which will include complete repair and refinishing of the tower’s stone exterior, repairs and repainting of the glazed lantern and metal roof, and some interior and below-ground repairs, will be performed by Heritage Restoration Inc. of Uxbridge. The tower was closed for the 2010 and 2011 seasons after deteriorating stone on the face of tower became a safety hazard. 


Once restoration worked started and the exterior surface treatment was sandblasted away, it was discovered that the tower had four significant cracks, not just the one known large vertical crack. In addition, after the joints of the tower were raked in preparation for rejointing, it was found that the original mortar behind a two-inch-thick modern layer had no supporting strength. Given these unexpected issues, work on the tower was stopped. Moisture has penetrated to the rubblestone core of the tower through the top eight courses of stones, prompting the contractor's engineer to recommend the removal of the lantern room so more effective repairs can be made. A new design, schedule, and budget have to be determined before the work can proceed.