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For 80 years this trusty old beacon provided a welcoming light to local fishermen, that is until the Canadian Coast Guard decided the light no longer served a useful purpose. It was decommissioned, and declared surplus property. The Coast Guard came close to selling the lighthouse until members of the community insisted they should have first right to the tower.
Originally the Coast Guard wanted $2700 for the tower, a lot of money for the small community of Five Fingers, considering they would also have to move the lighthouse. The tower has been moved several times over the years due to erosion and is dangerously close to the edge again.
Local citizens formed a committee and wanted desperately to save and keep their lighthouse. But even if they were able to raise the money, liability insurance would have posed a major problem. A deal was finally worked out where the Coast Guard leased the lighthouse to Clochester County and the County will lease the tower to the Five Island Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Barrie Walker, owner of the Sand Point Camp-ground, and who is on the committee to save the lighthouse said the lighthouse will be moved inland about 250 feet to land that he has provided. However the move can't take place until November when his camp-ground is closed for the season. Campers are now on the land where the lighthouse will have it's new home.
The lighthouse is scheduled to be part of the Eco-Tour System which provides directional signs for historic sites.
Barrie said long term goals will call for interpretative panels to be installed at the lighthouse and opening it to the public for tours.
If any one is interested in joining their group or sending a much needed donation it can be sent to: Five Islands Lighthouse Preservation Society, c/o Barrie Walker, Box 79, Five Islands, Nova Scotia, BOM 1KO, Canada.
This story appeared in the
September 1996 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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