Marine heritage enthusiast Bill Caesar hopes so, and last Thursday evening, he received support, in principle, from a committee of the Northeast Town council for a replica of a "birdcage" lighthouse—named for the metal cage encasing the light—that originally sat on Little Current's shores, starting in 1866.
Actually, there were two lights: when the Coast Guard first constructed the range lights, the front light was perched on the east end of Spider Island, while the rear light sat just south on the mainland between two docks, where the downtown cenotaph is currently located. The structures rose about 20 to 25 feet into the air, providing visibility for six miles.
The lighthouses were moved—one spending some time atop Byron Turner's warehouse—before the last structure was demolished in the 1950s. Now Mr. Caesar is hoping to capitalize on the enthusiasm for saving Manitoulin's existing lighthouses by returning a beacon to Little Current's downtown.
"We are right in the midst of a save-the-lighthouse program on Manitoulin, the North Shore, and Killarney, and the public support has been overwhelming," he noted.
The proposed spot for the new light is the water intake building located at the east of the Little Current docks. The rundown building is "a bit of an eyesore," said Mr. Caesar, but would be ideal for conversion to a lighthouse.
"Instead of just ripping it apart, if we simply remove the roof, put a platform on it, put another small building on top of that, and build a birdcage over the top of it, the costs would be minimal and the result would be, I think, spectacular," he proposed.
Interestingly, the structure's dimensions are almost identical to that of the original lighthouse—the 19th-century lights were 20' by 20', while the existing building measures 18' by 20'—and the birdcage model would offer yet another distinctive design in Manitoulin's collection of beacons.
"The birdcage is unique," Mr. Caesar said. "There are only four of these on the entire continent that I can find."
In addition to Manitoulin's pair, Killarney also had birdcage range lights, but they were both demolished years ago, he added.
The birdcage lights also contribute to the local marine lore. According to Mr. Caesar, Don McKenzie, Little Current's first lightkeeper, arrived at Manitoulin in a bit of a pickle. The schooner on which he travelled became shipwrecked off the coast of Wikwemikong, but the residents there plucked him from the water, housed and fed him throughout the winter, and in the summer he relocated to Little Current. He went on to man the light for 35 years, until 1901. Twenty years later, his son, William McKenzie, continued the tradition, and became lightkeeper at the Strawberry Island lighthouse until 1930.
Already, the buzz over the potential for this plan has people lending a hand. Ron Anstice and Ron Hierons, the two gentlemen who constructed the replica lighthouse at Michael's Bay point in 2005, have offered their expertise as architects for the plan.
"If they can help us to put up a similar sort of structure we will be really blessed with a wonderful addition to the town," Mr. Caesar said.
Kevin Hutchinson, owner of Tim's and Company RONA, has offered to donate the wood siding, strapping, and fasteners, while Turners has offered to donate materials for the roof and the extension for the light's platform.
A 16-inch reflector light—the right size to replicate the original—was salvaged by Dave Draper at the town landfill 20 years ago, and Mr. Caesar said it's perfect for the task.
The lighthouse would even fit perfectly with phase three of the town's waterfront redevelopment plan. The plaza designed for the east end of the docks would be located adjacent to the light.
With 10 heritage lighthouses in the region, and three other reconstructed lights on Manitoulin alone, Mr. Caesar believes an addition to Little Current would be a boon to the town, both for its heritage and its connection to tourism.
The committee unanimously agreed, in principle, to the project, but will look into the strength of the structure in supporting a lighthouse before consenting wholly to the plan. Staff will return with further information for a future meeting where a decision is expected to be made.
| Next > |
|---|
