Preservation society to shrink wrap Nottawasaga Lighthouse

CTV Barrie: Shrink wrapping a lighthouse The historic Nottawasaga Lighthouse in Collingwood is about to be shrink wrapped. Roger Klein explains.

Work is about to begin on the Nottawasaga Lighthouse to help preserve it through the harsh winter months.

The lighthouse is in need of more than $2 million in repairs, but for now the plan is to shrink wrap the entire structure to keep water out.

“Really a stitch in time saves nine, we got to get out there and stop the deterioration because it only gets worse,” says Erle Heintzman, project foreman.

The lighthouse is one of six imperial towers built on the Great Lakes in the 1800s. The lighthouse is still government property, but the process of transferring ownership to the Nottawasaga Lighthouse Preservation Society (NLPS) is underway.

“There has been a lot of talk over the past several years about restoring the light. We certainly have been doing some fundraising, but nothing tangible has happened,” says Rick Crouch, chair of NLPS. “Now people will see this project moving forward.”

The rescue mission began Thursday morning, as a barge moved heavy equipment and materials out to Nottawasaga Island.

Several days of work are needed before the actual shrink wrapping can get started.

This project is expected to take about three weeks to complete.