The Cove Island Light, at Gig Point on the island, is located in
Fathom Five National Marine Park
Fathom Five National Marine Park is a National Marine Conservation Area in the Georgian Bay part of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada, that seeks to protect and display shipwrecks and lighthouses, and conserve freshwater ecosystems. Parks Canada h ...
, but is not part of the Park. It is situated on the
Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada, that divides Georgian Bay of Lake Huron from the lake's main basin. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southwestern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Islan ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It has been a navigational aid in the narrow channel between
Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
and
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...
since 30 October 1858. It was the first of six stone
Imperial Towers
The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada. The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some histor ...
to be completed; all were illuminated by 1859. Most other lighthouses of the era were built of brick, wood, iron or concrete.
The six were built at a time when commercial shipping traffic was increasing on the Great Lakes between Canada and the U.S. because of new trade agreements and the opening of the
Sault Ste. Marie Canal
The Sault Ste. Marie Canal is a National Historic Site in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and is part of the national park system, managed by Parks Canada. It includes a lock to bypass the rapids on the St. Marys River.
The first canal near the s ...
locks in 1855. The settlement of the Bruce Peninsula was also well underway by then, making the lighthouses even more useful. They acted as navigational aids for the boats and ships on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. All are currently operating as automated lights.
The Tower, Cove Island, Ontario, was formally registered on the
Canadian Register of Historic Places
The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP; french: Le Répertoire canadien des lieux patrimoniaux), also known as Canada's Historic Places, is an online directory of historic sites in Canada which have been formally recognized for their her ...
on 14 November 2014. The federal government restored the site in 2015–2016.
History
The origin of the ''Imperial'' designation is not certain, but some historians speculate that because the towers were public construction built under the colonial administration while Canada was a self-governing colony of Britain, the name would assure at least some funding from the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
's Board of Trade.
All six Imperial towers, along with a limestone lightkeeper's dwelling, were constructed by
John Brown (builder)
John Brown (1809–1876) was a Canadian builder of Scottish origin.
Brown began his career as a stonemason's apprentice in Glasgow. At 23 he emigrated to the United States, to upstate New York. By 1838 he had moved again, this time to Thoro ...
from
Thorold, Ontario
Thorold is a city in Ontario, Canada, located on the Niagara Escarpment. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Canal passes through the city, featuring lock 7 and the Twin Flight Locks.
History
The first sur ...
, a contractor and stonemason.
The design aspects of the tower are virtually identical to those of the
Point Clark Lighthouse
Point Clark Lighthouse is located on in a beach community, Point Clark, Ontario, near a point that protrudes into Lake Huron. Built between 1855 and 1859 under the instructions of the Board of Works, Canada West, it is one of the few on the Grea ...
, well described in a Government of Canada document.
The lamp itself underwent several transformations starting with an Argand lamp fueled with sperm whale oil, then a flat wick coal oil lamp, replaced with an oil vapour light about 1900. Vapourized kerosene was burned to keep the beacon aglow. An on-site generator provided electricity during the 1950s and in 1971, an underwater power cable was laid from
Tobermory to the island.
The powerful "second order" Fresnel lens was manufactured by the Louis Saulter Company in Paris and installed by workmen from France inside the polygonal lantern with its three rows of rectangular glass panes.
![Lightstation Annex - Cove Island](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Lightstation_Annex_-_Cove_Island.JPG)
Similar in style to the other
Imperial Towers
The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada. The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some histor ...
lighthouses on
Chantry Island Chantry Island may refer to:
* Chantry Island, Hertfordshire, a small piece of land in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
;Canada
*Chantry Island Lightstation Tower, a small island on Lake Huron containing the Chantry Island Lighthouse and Bird Sanctua ...
, at
Point Clark
Point Clark is a lakefront cottage community on Lake Huron, in Ontario Canada. It is approximately 15 kilometres south of Kincardine and 40 kilometres north of Goderich. Main streets include Huron Road and Lake Range Road. Point Clark is served ...
and on
Griffith Island, Georgian Bay, the Cove Island lighthouse has five sets of stairs with 15 steps each, one set with 11 steps and the final curved iron stairway to the lamp room has nine steps (total: 95 steps). An iron door leads into the lamp room. The stone lightkeeper's cottage adjacent to the tower was built at the same time. The "new" lightkeepers house was built in 1970 a short distance from the tower.
This lightstation was continuously manned from 1858 to 1991, making it the longest keeper-occupied light in Ontario.
The lighthouse tower, the original house and fog plant, a workshop, the assistant keeper's house and the modern lightkeeper's house make up the lightstation today. The light is currently a valuable aid to navigation operated by the Canadian Coast Guard; it is the only Imperial Tower that is still using the original Fresnel lens.
Although the facility has been renovated, access to the island is restricted so tours are not available. Views from the ferry or a private boat are excellent.
Lightkeepers
George F. Collins (1858–1860) was the first person to serve as light keeper at the Isle of Coves. Born in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, in 1817, George Collins went to sea at the young age of 12 where he traveled the world becoming a captain by his early 20s. In 1851, Collins immigrated to Canada to live in
Kingston before moving to
Collingwood in 1855.
[ ]
When the
Imperial Towers
The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada. The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some histor ...
were being built, applications for positions as light keepers came in from all over the country. With his maritime experience, George Collins applied for the Nottawasaga Island light near his home at Collingwood. Surprisingly, he was instead appointed keeper at the Isle of Coves. Collins' salary was $435 per year.
Like the keeper at Point Clark, Collins was required to clean and whitewash the tower as required, to fuel the light and, twice a day, to wind up the clockwork-like mechanism—with weights and pulleys—that enabled the weights to rotate the lens.
David McBeath, on the other hand, applied for the light keeper's position at Isle of Coves, and was initially given the job at Nottawasaga instead. Eventually, in 1860, the two were able to switch jobs.
David McBeath (1860 - 1872) of all the fascinating stories the Isle of Coves Light station has to tell, nothing compares with the drama of David McBeath and his family running out of food with the lake already freezing. Provisions finally arrived on a steamship before they starved.
William McBeath (1872 - 1876)
Bryce Millar, (1876 – 1878)
George Currie (1878–1902) is remembered for his part in the aftermath of the sinking of the schooner 'Regina' off Gat Point, Cove Island, on 10 September 1866. The ship sank and the captain, Amos Tripp, a "mysterious character" according to some reports drowned during the storm. His body was found on Cove Island by George Currie. The body was returned to the family two weeks later.
William Collier (1902 - 1903)
Kenneth McLeod (1903 - 1912)
William Simpson (1912 - 1915)
Jack Leslie (1915 - 1945)
Harold ("Hal") Banas (1945-1946) lived on the island with his wife Iris and his brother, assistant keeper Earl Banas. Hal and Iris had married in a ceremony on the island.
Russell Botham, (1947–1948)
William (Bill) Spears (1949–1976) knew that his work must continue, transmitting information to Wiarton in addition to operating the light. Even when he was seriously ill with mumps in 1954, he had to continue radio reports while spending long days between the generator engines.
Robert (Bob) Nelder (1977 – 1981)
Jack Vaughn was the last light keeper at Cove Island (1982-1991).
[ ] Because of automation, his role was virtually one of caretaker, particularly in the last few years.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Ontario
This is a list of lighthouses in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Lighthouses
See also
* List of lighthouses in Canada
* Imperial Towers (a group of lighthouses in the list)
References
External links
*
{{Lighthouses of Canada
List ...
*
List of lighthouses in Canada
This is a list of lighthouses in Canada. These may naturally be divided into lighthouses on the Pacific coast, on the Arctic Ocean, in the Hudson Bay watershed, on the Labrador Sea and Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the St. Lawrence River watershed ( ...
*
Great Lakes Storm of 1913
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 (historically referred to as the "Big Blow", the "Freshwater Fury", and the "White Hurricane") was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and Sou ...
References
External links
Cove Island Lighthouse Official WebsiteAids to Navigation''Canadian Coast Guard''
{{authority control
Lighthouses in Ontario
Buildings and structures in Bruce County
Historic buildings and structures in Ontario