Monday, January 18, 2010

canal lighthouse

Beach Canal Lighthouse

This 90’ limestone lighthouse sits under the Burlington Skyway at the canal between Lake Ontario and Burlington Bay. Built in 1858, it has sat dormant and abandoned since it was deactivated in 1968. This lighthouse replaced a wooden structure which caught fire when a steamer ran against the wooden pier (apparently a common occurrence, due to high crosswinds) creating sparks that engulfed the pier, the lighthouse and the keepers’ cottage. To make sure this one was fireproof, it was built of limestone with seven foot thick walls at its base. Since it was built, it has been surrounded by three bridges and can easily be missed. There is a group actively working towards restoring the lighthouse with the aim of opening it to the public.

MyWorldTuesday

10 comments:

Jim said...

Great lighthouse.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Sylvia K said...

I love lighthouses and this is a terrific shot! I do hope they are able to restore it and make it available to the public! Have a great week!

Sylvia

gemini said...

love lighthouses....but haven't visited one. hope one day i could go up, high above and see ships.....all aboard.....guided by the majestic lighthouse.

LadyFi said...

Amazing stone work... Love the grey muted colour.

Susan said...

I love lighthouses, they come in so many styles. This is very nice made from limestone and I enjoyed the history lesson too.
I looked through the rest of your posts on the page and really enjoyed the view. Thank You.

Oman said...

i love lighthouses specially the old ones. great shot.

Anonymous said...

I like this - especially all the contrasting lines with the stone, the concrete bridge in the background and the metal structures surrounding. Thanks for sharing a great image, and an interesting history, too.

Anonymous said...

3 bridges around it???? it should be safe indeed.... :-)
great shot!

Diane AZ said...

Beautiful lighthouse with interesting history. I hope it can be restored and preserved.

maryt/theteach said...

VioletSky, one of my favorite things is a lighthouse! Thanks for this view! :)

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