Saving city's lighthouse
people on the go - DAVE AUGER
By Denis Gibbons
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 2, 2005)
Most of Burlington's army of volunteers look forward to the summer months for a break from their tasks. But when the sun is at its highest point, so is the action on the city's beach.
On Sunday, July 10, citizens will turn Killarney Ave. on the Hamilton side of the beach into 'Lighthouse Lane' for the day. It's a street sale in which residents donate good quality garage sale material to raise money and build awareness of the Beach Canal Lighthouse Group's efforts to preserve the Burlington Canal lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's cottage.
"I have a special feeling about this lighthouse because my earliest memory as a child was of being on the beach at Port Elgin (on Lake Huron) and seeking the lighthouse on Chantry Island," said Dave Auger, the group's executive director.
Architect John Brown, who constructed the current lighthouse out of white dolomite limestone, also built six similar structures on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, including one on Christian Island, which is almost identical to the one on the canal.
While the lighthouse dates back to 1858, the brick cottage was completed one year earlier. It's the oldest original structure left on the entire length of beach in Burlington and Hamilton. A previous lighthouse, built out of wood in 1838, was destroyed by fire in 1856 when sparks from the steamship Ranger ignited the building.
In 1961, the limestone lighthouse was replaced with a more modern beacon located at the end of the south canal pier. The old lighthouse officially ceased operations in 1968 and Peter Coletti, who was the lightkeeper for the final 25 of its active years, was made the group's first honourary member. He is now retired and living in the Maritimes.
Tony Butler, a retired Hamilton architect with a passion for 19th century industrial architecture, is chairman of the group. One of his better known works is the main branch of the Hamilton Public Library, which was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1980.
Three Burlington city councillors are among the approximately 200 members. Former beach resident Bert Oldershaw, who represented Canada as a paddler in three Olympic Games, provided some of the impetus to save the buildings.
Auger said the group hopes to do as much as it can with private funds and would like the lighthouse and cottage to become part of the museum system.
"If we get a big government grant, it puts control back in the government's hands," he said.
He said the group's first challenge is to get more people involved.
"We'd like to have about 500 members with at least 200 of them actively involved," he said. "There's a lot of work to do."
The next step is taking ownership of the buildings and that's when the fund-raising drive will begin.
"We're hesitant to do it yet because we don't have the buildings yet," Auger said. "We'll likely need about a quarter-of-a-million dollars to restore the lighthouse and cottage to turn-of-the-century condition."
The lighthouse is owned by the federal government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the land around it by the Department of Public Works, which also operates the liftbridge. Complicating matters is the fact that Public Works is trying to get the Hamilton Port Authority to take over operation of the bridge. But Auger says the wheels are in motion for transfer of the lighthouse, cottage and land to the BCLG.
Auger grew up in Kitchener and was once a resident of Aldershot. But he fell in love with the beach after a friend asked his wife Dawn and him to house-sit their cottage.
Although almost all of the cottages on the beach are now gone to make way for Beachway Park, the Augers were able to rent a house on the Burlington side.
"It's like a little piece of heaven," he said. "And I can walk across the street and see the lighthouse."
Auger's full-time job is marketing and communications director for the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness, which coincidentally holds its annual conference in July, bringing together representatives of more than 40 different countries in Toronto. So July is a hot month for him in more ways than one.
Citizens interested in helping the Beach Canal Lighthouse Group can obtain further information by calling 905-681-6233 or by going online and sending an e-mail to lighthouse1858@hotmail.com
* Anthony Butler, chair of the group's board of directors, and Executive Director Dave Auger represent the Beach Canal Lighhouse Group.
Photo#1- Dave Auger leads a group which is trying to save the Beach Canal lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper's cottage, both shown behind him.
Photos by Brian Carnahan
people on the go - DAVE AUGER
By Denis Gibbons
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 2, 2005)
Most of Burlington's army of volunteers look forward to the summer months for a break from their tasks. But when the sun is at its highest point, so is the action on the city's beach.
On Sunday, July 10, citizens will turn Killarney Ave. on the Hamilton side of the beach into 'Lighthouse Lane' for the day. It's a street sale in which residents donate good quality garage sale material to raise money and build awareness of the Beach Canal Lighthouse Group's efforts to preserve the Burlington Canal lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's cottage.
"I have a special feeling about this lighthouse because my earliest memory as a child was of being on the beach at Port Elgin (on Lake Huron) and seeking the lighthouse on Chantry Island," said Dave Auger, the group's executive director.
Architect John Brown, who constructed the current lighthouse out of white dolomite limestone, also built six similar structures on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, including one on Christian Island, which is almost identical to the one on the canal.
While the lighthouse dates back to 1858, the brick cottage was completed one year earlier. It's the oldest original structure left on the entire length of beach in Burlington and Hamilton. A previous lighthouse, built out of wood in 1838, was destroyed by fire in 1856 when sparks from the steamship Ranger ignited the building.
In 1961, the limestone lighthouse was replaced with a more modern beacon located at the end of the south canal pier. The old lighthouse officially ceased operations in 1968 and Peter Coletti, who was the lightkeeper for the final 25 of its active years, was made the group's first honourary member. He is now retired and living in the Maritimes.
Tony Butler, a retired Hamilton architect with a passion for 19th century industrial architecture, is chairman of the group. One of his better known works is the main branch of the Hamilton Public Library, which was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1980.
Three Burlington city councillors are among the approximately 200 members. Former beach resident Bert Oldershaw, who represented Canada as a paddler in three Olympic Games, provided some of the impetus to save the buildings.
Auger said the group hopes to do as much as it can with private funds and would like the lighthouse and cottage to become part of the museum system.
"If we get a big government grant, it puts control back in the government's hands," he said.
He said the group's first challenge is to get more people involved.
"We'd like to have about 500 members with at least 200 of them actively involved," he said. "There's a lot of work to do."
The next step is taking ownership of the buildings and that's when the fund-raising drive will begin.
"We're hesitant to do it yet because we don't have the buildings yet," Auger said. "We'll likely need about a quarter-of-a-million dollars to restore the lighthouse and cottage to turn-of-the-century condition."
The lighthouse is owned by the federal government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the land around it by the Department of Public Works, which also operates the liftbridge. Complicating matters is the fact that Public Works is trying to get the Hamilton Port Authority to take over operation of the bridge. But Auger says the wheels are in motion for transfer of the lighthouse, cottage and land to the BCLG.
Auger grew up in Kitchener and was once a resident of Aldershot. But he fell in love with the beach after a friend asked his wife Dawn and him to house-sit their cottage.
Although almost all of the cottages on the beach are now gone to make way for Beachway Park, the Augers were able to rent a house on the Burlington side.
"It's like a little piece of heaven," he said. "And I can walk across the street and see the lighthouse."
Auger's full-time job is marketing and communications director for the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness, which coincidentally holds its annual conference in July, bringing together representatives of more than 40 different countries in Toronto. So July is a hot month for him in more ways than one.
Citizens interested in helping the Beach Canal Lighthouse Group can obtain further information by calling 905-681-6233 or by going online and sending an e-mail to lighthouse1858@hotmail.com
* Anthony Butler, chair of the group's board of directors, and Executive Director Dave Auger represent the Beach Canal Lighhouse Group.
Photo#1- Dave Auger leads a group which is trying to save the Beach Canal lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper's cottage, both shown behind him.
Photos by Brian Carnahan