A behind-the-fence tour of the Point Petre Lighthouse property in Prince Edward County will be held on Saturday.
The lighthouse is one of six surviving in the county.
Marc Seguin of the Prince Edward County branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario is leading the tour.
Seguin tells Quinte News, “The lighthouse itself is a unique architectural structure. It’s now one of a kind in Canada. Probably the world. Right at the moment the lighthouse itself is not at at risk.”
He adds, “The buildings that were related to the lighthouse, around the time of the lighthouse, and were used either directly for the lighthouse or for other marine navigational purposes are at risk.”
“We want to try to conserve this building so that the lighthouse itself can also be reused as a site of potential community use in the future.”
Sergin says the Point Petre lighthouse keeper’s dwelling was demolished without notice.
He adds the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has indicated the radio beacon is slated for demolition, as well.
Seguin says the Saturday tour is sold out.
ACO President Liz Driver has issued a statement saying, “The Point Petre lighthouse complex is of great cultural significance to the community and should be preserved for future public access and adaptive reuse. ACO PEC calls upon the federal government to stop further demolitions and conserve the site … The provincial government is in the process of establishing a South Shore Conservation Reserve, and there is an initiative underway to establish a National Marine Conservation Area along the South Shore.”
