An effort to save the oldest wooden lighthouse on the Great Lakes has been passed from a local municipality to the Port Burwell Historical Society. The Port Burwell Lighthouse has overlooked Lake Erie for almost 200 years. Once a life-saving beacon for shipping, it is now the heart of Bayham Township, according to Ken Kokko, the president of the Port Burwell Historical Society. “It is our CN Tower, it is our Statue of Liberty, it is our Eiffel Tower!” he said. But unlike those structures, the lighthouse is teetering on the brink. In 2022, an engineering report set off alarms. The following year, it was compared to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The municipality was forced to act to keep it from toppling. But in the wake of over a million dollars of debt acquired from the controversy surrounding the arrival of HMCS Ojibwa, Bayham council was hesitant to spend nearly $2 million to save the lighthouse. “It’s a question of how far do you pressure taxpayers? We don’t want to, ”explained Mayor Ed Ketchabaw. Enter the Port Burwell Historical Society. Its members persuaded the council that they are in the best position to save the structure, before it’s too late. But the timelines to get the ball rolling for the restoration are – very - tight. Kokko explained that well over $100,000 must be raised by Aug. 5 to match the base requirements for a federal grant. “And that grant can fund us for $1 million. Now, the thing is, in order to meet that, we’re short about $150,000 on that. So, we’re doing some quick fundraising, and we’re trying to find $150,000 in about a week’s time.” While a lot of grace will be given beyond that date, the municipality has the first right of refusal to get the lighthouse back should the efforts of the historical society fail. “It’s not meant to be punitive. It’s simply saying if you can’t carry on, it can’t go forward,” said Ketchabaw. A restoration could take several years, even if all grants are approved, but the mayor remains positive. “The goal is that this structure will be here for the community for years and years to come.” A point shared by Kokko as he looked up at the top of the lighthouse. “It reminds us that we can’t forget our history, and we need to save it,” he concluded.
