Georgian Bay Lighthouse Tracker

Resetting the Doomsday Clock

A bit dramatic perhaps, but as of March 27, 2018, only one Georgian Bay lighthouse has been granted Heritage Status, leaving the rest to an uncertain fate (click here to find out what’s going on.)  Most Georgian Bay lights have been nominated for heritage status, but government deliberations are still ongoing and their fates were supposed to have been determined by May 29, 2015.  Three years later we have no news, although the light and additional structures on Hope Island have been torn down.

The Parks Canada official list of Heritage Status lighthouses can be found here.

Georgian Bay Lighthouse Statuses
Surplus status lighthouses 10%
Nominated lighthouses 85%
Heritage status lighthouses 5%

Latest Update (March 27, 2018):  To say that things are moving slowly is an understatement.  Most Bay lights remain nominated, but only Snug Harbour to date has actually been granted Heritage status.  Hope Island has been cleared of all structures, and the Archipelago is still in discussions to assume control of Pointe au Baril.

Update (February 12, 2014):  The Canadian federal budget has been released, and it includes no proposed seed money for upkeep of non-federally owned structures (i.e. surplus lighthouses):

“Budget documents are silent on Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program, which in recent years has provided modest yet much-needed bricks-and-mortar investment in National Historic Sites not in federal ownership, and do not confirm proposed seed funding to ease lighthouses declared ‘surplus’ by the Federal Government into the hands of local groups.”

Read the full Heritage Canada The National Trust media release here.

Update (February 1, 2014):  New colour-coding added to the tracker, to reflect surplus, nominated, and heritage statuses.
Update (May 22, 2012):  Brebeuf Range, Byng Inlet Ranges, Cape Croker, Christian Island, Gereaux Island, Hope Island, Lighthouse Point (Big Tub), and Nottawasaga Island have all been nominated for Heritage Status!
Update (May 14, 2012):  the Bustard Rocks light and twin ranges have been nominated for Heritage Status.
Update (May 7, 2012):  Heritage nomination for Bustard Rocks is pending.
Update (May 1, 2012):  No new Georgian Bay lights have been nominated for Heritage Status.
Update (April 19, 2012):  Killbear Point (in Killbear Provincial Park) and the South Baymouth ranges have been nominated for Heritage Status.


Congratulations to all of the groups that have submitted petitions on behalf of Georgian Bay lighthouses.  The vast majority of Georgian Bay lights have been nominated for Heritage Status:
Map of Surplus and Heritage lighthouses on Georgian Bay

Above:  Heritage status of major Georgian Bay lights as of March 27, 2018.

Status list of Eastern Georgian Bay navigation aids (Killarney to Christian Island):

Navigational Aid Light No. DFRP Federal Real Property Page Status
Bustard Rocks 966.000 11507 DFRP Page NOMINATED
DR-D80-F Bustard Rocks 5314.250 11507 DFRP Page NOMINATED
DR-D81-F Bustard Rocks 5314.500 11507 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Byng Inlet Front Range 957.000 11508 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Byng Inlet Rear Range 958.000 11508 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Christian Island 857.500 83045 DFRP Page NOMINATED
DR-Brébeuf Rear Range 5000.100 11288 DFRP Page NOMINATED
French River Inner Range 5314.100 11509 DFRP Page SURPLUS
Gereaux Island 954.000 11506 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Hope Island 857.000 11114 DFRP Page SURPLUS
Jones Island Front Range 917.000 83795 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Jones Island Rear Range 918.000 11510 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Killarney East 974.000 83054 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Killarney Northwest 978.000 83490 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Killbear Point 923.000 11511 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Lighthouse Island 1378.000 83027 DFRP Page SURPLUS
O’Donnell Point 902.500 83190 DFRP Page SURPLUS
Pointe Au Baril Front Range 942.000 11512 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Pointe Au Baril Rear Range 943.000 86199 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Red Rock 906.000 11515 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Snug Harbour Rear Range 910.000 11463 DFRP Page HERITAGE
Three Mile Point 926.000 11519 DFRP Page SURPLUS
Western Islands 902.000 11520 DFRP Page NOMINATED

 

Status list of Western Georgian Bay navigation aids (Nottawasaga to Manitoulin):
(Not all Manitoulin lights are listed here.)

Navigational Aid Light No. DFRP Federal Real Property Page Status
Lighthouse Point / Big Tub 815.000 10973 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Cape Croker 828.000 83051 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Collingwood Sector 853.000 83975 DFRP Page SURPLUS
Cove Island 805.000 30471 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Griffith Island 832.000 58231 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Lonely Island 971.000 83049 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Manitowaning 991.000 32550 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Nottawasaga Island 845.000 11032 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Owen Sound Range 836.000 83053 DFRP Page SURPLUS
South Baymouth Front Range 807.000 33143 DFRP Page NOMINATED
South Baymouth Rear Range 808.000 33143 DFRP Page NOMINATED
Strawberry Island 996.000 11080 DFRP Page NOMINATED

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