10 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Spring 2022 By Allison Needham, UPDATE Deputy Editor HERITAGE Canada’s Castles: Preserving Carling’s Lighthouses In 2016, the Snug Harbour Lighthouse on the rocky shores of Georgian Bay was designated as a Heritage Site by the Government of Canada. In bestowing this honour, the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office noted the building’s architectural value: “Though there were some issues in getting it built, Snug Harbour Lighthouse has stood up to the elements over the years and has rightly been recognized as a unique maritime building.” The Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has a long-term plan to divest themselves of most of the lighthouses on the Great Lakes – including the one in Snug Harbour. When the DFO approached municipalities and preservation groups to assume ownership and restore them, Carling Township agreed and was granted ownership of the Snug Lighthouse. In the fall of 2019, the Township requested suggestions from the community on how best to restore the lighthouse. After numerous suggestions were submitted, it was decided that restoring the exterior would be the primary goal. The shutters covering the first-floor windows were painted to look like windows, and the 1950s generator building was repainted in white and red to match the light house. The interior of the lighthouse is structurally sound, and at some future point turning the lighthouse into a maritime museum might be a possibility. Snug Harbour resident Peter Pook has been involved with the preservation efforts since 2017. “Lighthouses are Canada’s castles and must be preserved for future generations. More than half are already destroyed, falling into disrepair, or are beyond salvage,” Pook said. The Lighthouse Capital of Georgian Bay Since the founding of Parry Sound, there has only been one principal commercial boat channel into the Sound. All cargo and passenger boats travelling north or south must first travel through the shoal-infested waters off Carling Township. It became obvious in the late 1800s that a number of lighthouses were badly needed to safely guide these ships into Parry Sound. As a result, Carling has the distinction of being the lighthouse capital of Georgian Bay, if not the Great Lakes, with seven lighthouses or light stations within its borders. This distinction can be traced back to 1891, when Royal Navy Commander John G. Boulton conducted a detailed survey of the channels leading to Parry Sound. He suggested that the best route was from the north and recommended the establishment of five lighthouses / light stations to help ships safely navigate into Parry Sound from the southern end of the Mink Islands, where the Tower Island Lighthouse stood (later replaced by the Red Rock Lighthouse, which remains the principal lighthouse in this group). Boulton’s recommendation was accepted, and five new lights were placed into operation on September 29, 1894. A lighthouse was located on the southern tip of Snug Island, and four other sites (Jones Island, Golden Island, Gordon Rock, and Hugh Rock) housed lights that helped lead ships into Parry Sound. The construction of the Snug Harbour lighthouse took place in 1893, and the building was operational by the following year, with Charles White serving as the first keeper. The lighthouse was occupied by live-in keepers until The old Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans sign was replaced with a new stone sign in 2021. A postcard of the Snug Harbour lighthouse circa 1880. Image courtesy of Carling Historical Society Photo: Peter Pook
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