Who We Are
The Beach Canal Lighthouse Group (BCLG) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (Ontario), which was proclaimed in force on October 19, 2021. The BCLG was originally incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation through its affiliation with the Ontario Historical Society (June 2004).
As set forth in our Restated Articles of Incorporation (adopted in 2024), the purposes of the corporation are “to promote public awareness, education, preservation and interest in the historic, cultural, economic, and recreational significance of the Lighthouse and Light Keeper’s Cottage located adjacent to the Burlington Ship Canal”. The Lighthouse, comprising the 1858 limestone tower and the Light Keeper’s Cottage, comprising the 1857 brick masonry dwelling, are located on the south side of the Burlington Canal in the City of Hamilton.
Shorter-Term Plans for the Light Station
In 2017, the BCLG accepted a proposal put forward by the Hamilton Port Authority (now the merged Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority) to secure ownership of the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage from the federal government and then negotiate a lease agreement with the BCLG. The transfer of both buildings is finally expected to take place in 2022. In 2021 the BCLG in partnership with HOPA agreed to the relocation of the stone tower about 300’ to the west onto the Fisherman’s Pier land owned by HOPA, where it will serve as the centrepiece of a redeveloped public area, enhanced landscaping and public amenities. This will allow the lighthouse to be made publicly accessible, which would not have been possible if left in its current location adjacent to the lift bridge. The keeper’s cottage will remain in situ on land owned by the federal government and will also be opened to the public once restored. Urgent maintenance work was begun on the cottage in the fall of 2021.
The agreement to transfer the historic landmark to the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) was announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in January 2022. This federal department agreed to contribute $275,000 toward the move. Additional funds are anticipated to come from the $400,000 grant awarded to the BCLG by the Hamilton Future Fund. The cost of relocating the 1000-tonne structure about 100 metres to port authority land was originally estimated to be about $1 million and was to be undertaken in 2022. Work on the foundation for the stone tower was completed in 2023. However, its relocation has been hindered by the escalating cost of moving the structure to its new foundation, now estimated to be closer to $3 million.
Longer-Term Goals
Once the lighthouse has been repositioned and restored, it will serve as a focal point for HOPA’s rejuvenation of the Fisherman’s Pier area. It is anticipated that on-site interpretation will first take place in an outdoor setting possibly combined with a small temporary building, to provide shelter and a place to mount displays. A much longer-term goal is to build a visitor centre combined with a maritime museum to more broadly interpret the history of the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage and the Burlington Canal as well as the development of Hamilton Harbour as a major port. Such a facility would provide space for the display of related documents and artefacts.
