Environmental cleanup is the next step to eventual restoration of this Georgian Bay landmark.
by Roger Klein // Video by Roger Klein
The historic Nottawasaga Lighthouse is a landmark that’s visible for many miles. From a distance it appears to be firmly anchored on Nottawasaga Island. But a closer observation reveals that time and the elements have taken their toll.
“The mission is to acquire and restore the Nottawasaga lighthouse,” says Stephen Emo, chair of the Nottawasaga Lighthouse Preservation Society (NLPS), the charity that has been working since 2015 on the arduous process of restoring the iconic structure.
Emo says contaminated soil on the island must be cleaned up before restoration work can take place. Some unexpected support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is now seeing that work begin.
“When we talked with DFO earlier this summer they had no money in the budget for Nottawasaga, so we are really pleased this is happening a year earlier than we anticipated.”
Completed in 1858, the Nottawasaga Lighthouse was one of six imperial towers that were built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. It stands 26 metres (85 feet) high, the stone walls are two metres (seven feet) thick at the base. The light operated continuously for 124 years before it was automated in 1959 and decommissioned in 2003.
The following year, a lightning strike damaged the tower’s stone veneer. The Canadian Coast Guard wrapped the tower with metal banding to temporarily support the stone exterior. After that the tower was abandoned and left to suffer the ravages of the elements.
In an effort to stop further decay the NLPS wrapped the exterior of the lighthouse in a weather-resistant material to protect it from moisture.
It’s long been known that there is mercury and other heavy metals near the base of the lighthouse.
Two companies have taken samples at the site and will soon report on the extent of the contamination and the next steps to clean it up, says Emo.
In the meantime, the lighthouse interior is getting a deep cleaning.
Over the years, rodents and birds made themselves at home. There is also lead paint that needs to be removed. Warren Haist from PuroClean Collingwood has been leading the interior cleanup project.
“The protocols set out by the engineers allowed us to use a soda blasting technique which is using a natural base baking soda to blast the paint off the walls, stone, stairs, railings and everything,” says Haist. “After that, we will be encapsulating before the engineers come back to test to make sure we got it all.”
With the interior lead removed and soil testing completed, the NLPS is hoping that work on the environmental cleanup can be completed next summer. Then, ownership of the lighthouse can be transferred to the NLPS and wholehearted fundraising and renovation work can begin.
