The Canadian government should create a national policy to preserve lighthouses for future generations, the senate committee reviewing lighthouse destaffing says.
The committee began to examine the issue after the Canadian Coast Guard announced plans in 2009 to automate lighthouses and divest itself of nearly 1,000 surplus lighthouses in B.C., Newfoundland and Labrador. The committee presented its first report about destaffing in December, recommending against the move.
Destaffing plans were scrapped by the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans earlier this week. John Duncan, Vancouver Island North Conservative MP, announced the decision on behalf of Fisheries Minster Gail Shea.
The second report examined surplus lighthouses and the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, which allows organizations to petition to acquire and preserve them.
The senate committee made 10 recommendations including: adopting a national policy to preserve a reasonable portion of Canada’s lighthouses for future generations; ensuring lighthouses are in good repair and environmental issues addressed before transfer; provide money to the Heritage Canada Foundation to launch a fundraising campaign for preservation; creating an independent Lighthouse Advisory Panel to address funding issues and create a heritage lighthouse pool; eliminating lighthouses that have received no petition from the surplus list if in the heritage pool; place covenants on lighthouses, address safety and security issues and remove lighthouses from surplus list if not met; and providing key information on DFO and Parks Canada websites about the process.
The committee’s report is available at http://canadianlighthouses.ca.