The Point Clark Lighthouse tower is closed to the public.
This comes after the federal government gave the site almost 500 thousand dollars to make it more accessible to visitors.
Parks Canada Historic Sites Manager Alice Willems says it’s unlikely the tower will re-open any time this summer.
Willems says some the federal money was used for a condition assesment of the tower and it exposed serious health and safety risks to visitors and staff.
She says what money is left over from the grant will now be used to start major repairs.
Willems admits the infrastructure money will not cover all of the repairs but it’s not known at this time where the additional cash will come from.
Point Clark is best known for its Imperial Lighthouse Tower, which was first lit on April 1st, 1859.
The 87-foot limestone structure is a style rarely seen elsewhere in Canada and it was the first Ontario lighthouse to be designated as a National Historic Site by Parks Canada in 1967.
Willems says she knows tourists will be disappointed that they cannot go up the tower but the nearby museum is still open and people can visit there to learn about Canada’s lighthouses and the Great Lakes.
She says they will work very hard to restore the Point Clark Lighthouse.
