Whitby company begins repairs to Kincardine Lighthouse
By: Liz Dadson
September 7, 2017
It's “lights-out” for the Kincardine Lighthouse for the next two months as Phoenix Restoration of Whitby repairs the iconic structure that overlooks Kincardine Harbour.
The materials were brought on site Aug. 14, and work began a week later as employees started putting up the scaffolding, said junior project manager Alanna Brannigan.
The scaffolding was expected to be completed by Wednesday and then the lighthouse would be enclosed to ensure proper humidity and temperature throughout the project, she said.
The navigational light has been removed and stored, said Brannigan, as well as everything in the tower, and the Coast Guard fog horn.
Putting up the scaffolding was the first major job, she said, because of the lighthouse tower's unique shape and height. “We had to have engineered shop drawings approved before we started.”
The project includes repair and painting of the lantern roof and wood brackets, a new lead-coated copper deck and new frames on the top windows. Brannigan said the improvements will not only make the lighthouse look better, they will make it more efficient.
The tower windows will be reinstalled, she said, so that they sit at a 90-degree angle, rather than sitting at the same angle as the tower, to prevent them from leaking. New framing will also be installed.
Phoenix Restoration has been in the building restoration business for more than 30 years, said Brannigan, and has completed the restoration, rehabilitation and conservation of a number of historical buildings. The company has worked on Union Station in Toronto, the Brockville Tunnel, a 200-year-old defensive wall at Fort Frederick in Kingston, and the Port Albino Lighthouse in Fort Erie.
“We appreciate the opportunity to work on the Kincardine Lighthouse,” said Brannigan. “We know how much it means to the community, and we'll take good care of it.”
The company also appreciates the support of the project team which includes B.M. Ross and Associates (engineering), Allan Avis (architect), Kincardine chief building official Michele Barr, and Jim Cooper of the Kincardine Yacht Club.
“Our approach to projects is that no two are alike,” said Brannigan. “Things change and each project must be determined on its own merit.”
Cooper said that prior to the lighthouse project getting under way, three trees were removed from beside the lightkeeper's house, including a chestnut and two pine trees.
Cost of the repairs to the lighthouse is $279,901, plus engineering. The budgeted amount (including engineering) was $460,000, with a one-third grant from the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program.
The lighthouse project is to be completed Nov. 3.
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