Moving day for Wood Islands Lighthouse
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | 12:22 PM AT
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
The lighthouse was first jacked up and steel beams were slid under it. (CBC) After 133 years on one spot, shoreline erosion has forced the moving of the lighthouse at Wood Islands, P.E.I.
The lighthouse, which marks the harbour where the ferry from Nova Scotia lands, was just a few metres from a cliff when it was moved — 70 metres back to more solid ground — at first light on March 10.
Moving a building of this size even that short distance required two sources of power: a tractor-trailer and a bulldozer.
The old foundation was left behind. (CBC) First, it was jacked up on huge metal beams and put on wheels before being attached to the truck. The front of the truck was hooked by chain the bulldozer.
The move was made in winter so the ground would be solid enough to support the structure for the move.
Since 1941, when ferry service started, Wood Islands has been one of the gateways to P.E.I.
The lighthouse was slowly rolled to its new location. (CBC) For many, it has been a sight that meant summer holidays are about to begin. For others, it may have been their last glimpse of their Island home as they went away to school or to start a new career.
It may be the most photographed lighthouse on the Island.
CBC P.E.I. is marking the move of the Wood Islands Lighthouse with a call for help from you. Send us your pictures and memories of the lighthouse, and we will share them here.
Share Tools
Latest Prince Edward Island News Headlines
- Magdalen Islands storm aid keeps P.E.I. port busy
- Extra ferries have been put on the route between the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island to send equipment to restore power after a winter storm knocked out power for thousands Saturday night. more »
- Fundraising support for Tignish girl 'unbelievable'
- The committee organizing fundraising for a new home for Bobbi-Jo LeClair in Tignish P.E.I., seriously injured in a car crash, says it's going well but needs a little more co-ordination. more »
- P.E.I. overpaid on equalization, says think tank
- Prince Edward Island received $90 million more than it should have in equalization payments in 2010, says the Mowatt Centre for Policy Innovation at the University of Toronto. more »
- Coyote worries Charlottetown residents
- Suspected coyote sightings in the heart of Charlottetown are concerning some residents there. more »
Top News Headlines
- U.S. bank reforms could hurt Canadians, Flaherty fears
- Canada's finance minister and the governor of the Bank of Canada have formally complained to their American counterparts that proposed banking reforms could harm Canadian banks, business, investors and the government itself. more »
- CBC digital music service launches today
- CBC is diving into the world of online music with the goal of providing listeners access to their favourite tunes, and a way to discover new artists and connect with fellow music fans. more »
- Ontario teachers' union calls for classroom Wi-Fi ban
- Ontario's Catholic schoolteachers are calling for hardwire instead of Wi-Fi in classrooms. more »
- Whitney Houston was found unconscious underwater, police say
- Whitney Houston was underwater and apparently unconscious in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel when found, Beverly Hills police said Monday. more »
- Still no power for 100s in Maritimes
- Coyote worries Charlottetown residents
- Students pinched by late scholarship
- Vets board member says privacy raided
- Magdalen Islands residents left without power
- P.E.I. overpaid on equalization, says think tank
- Magdalen Islands storm aid keeps P.E.I. port busy
- Montague EI centre union to demonstrate
- Acadian Lines talks fail to resolve dispute
