Government of Canada Announces New Heritage Lighthouse Designations

Two more lighthouses protected under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act

OTTAWA, June 4, 2018 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, along with Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, continue to preserve heritage lighthouses across Canada with two more designations of heritage lighthouses.

With these new designations, a total of 97 lighthouses in eight provinces have now been protected under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act ? and more designations will follow.

The newest designations announced today include the Bayswater Lighthouse, a traditional square tapered wooden tower, located along the Saint John River in the village of Bayswater, New Brunswick, as well as Isaacs Harbour Lighthouse, a combined residence and lighthouse located in Guysborough County, on the southeast coast of Nova Scotia.  

Among the 97 heritage lighthouses, 42 are to be managed by the federal government and 55 are to be managed by new, non-federal owners. Community-based organizations and other levels of government are currently working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to take over responsibility for the care and protection of many more lighthouses that are important to their communities.

Quotes

"Lighthouses have long graced Canada's rugged coastlines and majestic shores. The Isaacs Harbour Lighthouse is a treasured symbol of our community. This heritage lighthouse designation will ensure that this lighthouse will be protected for generations. I am proud to recognize the designation of this navigation aid that was established to aid the fishing, shipbuilding and gold mining industries in Nova Scotia."   

Rodger Cuzner,
Member of Parliament for Cape Breton ? Canso and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

"More than just beacons for navigation, heritage lighthouses are an integral part of the maritime identity of Canadians. The Bayswater Lighthouse has been in the community since 1914 and I am delighted with the fact that it is now designated a heritage lighthouse. The lighthouse served traffic along the beautiful Saint John River including a ferry, recreational, fishing and touring vessels and I am happy that our community will continue to protect an important piece of Canada's cultural maritime heritage."

Alaina Lockhart,
Member of Parliament, Fundy Royal and Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism

Quick Facts

• This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Government of Canada adopting the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. The Act, which is administered by Parks Canada, allows for the identification and protection of federally-owned lighthouses with heritage value. The federal government and other non-federal owners protect heritage lighthouses under the terms of this Act.
• The last time the federal government announced new heritage lighthouse designations (three) was on December 11, 2017.
• These designations are made by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Related Products

Backgrounder: Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act ? Program Results and a Course for the Future
Backgrounder: Designated Heritage Lighthouses

Associated Links

Heritage Lighthouses of Canada
Parks Canada mobile application
Parks Canada website

Backgrounder ? Designated Heritage Lighthouses

Name: Bayswater Lighthouse (established in 1914)
Location: Bayswater, New Brunswick

Bayswater Lighthouse is a traditional, square tapered wooden tower, standing 8.8 metres (29 feet). At the time of its construction in 1914, Bayswater was one of 21 operating lighthouses along the Saint John River system and served river traffic and a ferry that ran between the community of Bayswater and Millidgeville, just to the north of the city of Saint John. The ferry went out of operation in the mid-20^th century, but the light continued to guide recreational watercraft, fishing boats and touring vessels along the "Rhine of North America", as the Saint John River is known for its popularity among pleasure boaters. 

This secondary coastal light was deactivated in 2005 and remains a valued heritage and tourism symbol for local residents and mariners alike. It is located fifteen kilometres north of the city of Saint John.

Name: Isaacs Harbour (established in 1874, the present lighthouse was constructed in 1928)
Location: Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

The Isaacs Harbour Lighthouse is a 12.8 metre (42 feet), two-storey combined lighthouse and keepers' dwelling which guides vessels into Isaacs Harbour. Located on the southeast coast of Nova Scotia, the lighthstation was initially established to aid the fishing, shipbuilding and gold mining industries. The current lighthouse was constructed in 1928 to replace the original destroyed by fire. This simple and attractive structure makes use of a "balloon-frame" structural system, where the building studs are continuous from foundation to roof.

Deactivated since 2008, the recently rehabilitated lighthouse remains a valued symbol for the local community. It is approximately a three hours' drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

BACKGROUNDER

Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act: Program Results and a Course for the future

The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act is designed to conserve and protect federally-owned lighthouses that have significant heritage value. To date, 97 lighthouses have been designated and protected under the Act, and many others will be designated in the months and years to come. Heritage lighthouses are designated by the Minister responsible for Parks Canada (the Minister of Environment and Climate Change) on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act protects the heritage character of designated heritage lighthouses. Designated heritage lighthouses must be reasonably maintained and any alterations must be consistent with national and international standards for conservation. The Act also facilitates the sale or transfer of a heritage lighthouse to other levels of government, to community organizations, or to individuals in order to ensure an ongoing public purpose for the lighthouse and its long-term conservation. Any sale or transfer of a heritage lighthouse out of the federal portfolio must provide for the protection of its heritage character.

Canadians play an important role in the long-term conservation of heritage lighthouses. Under the Act, a lighthouse that is no longer required by the federal government can only be designated if a new owner is identified who can protect its heritage character. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard have been working with community-based organizations and other levels of government to find responsible, viable new owners for many cherished lighthouses across Canada. To date, sale or transfer agreements have been completed for 55 heritage lighthouses. 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to work with Canadians to identify responsible new owners for other cherished lighthouses. Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will continue to support their efforts to designate and protect as many heritage lighthouses as possible and ensure the protection of their heritage character for the benefit and enjoyment of generations to come.

New owners of heritage lighthouses may be eligible to apply for funding to support conservation and presentation projects through Parks Canada's National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places.

SOURCE Parks Canada