Volunteers in the Lorneville area have banded together to help preserve a local lighthouse which has fallen into disrepair.
Leah Alexander is one of three community members who make up the group known as Explore Lorneville Inc.
The community group, which started within the past six months, is working to restore the Musquash Head Lighthouse.
“It’s just been a home to us for our whole lives and we want to be able to share that experience with our own families and other members of the community and members from outside the community that might travel here,” said Alexander in a phone interview.
More than 10 years ago, Fisheries and Oceans Canada transferred ownership of the lighthouse to a community group.
The group subsequently disbanded after its president moved away, leaving the lighthouse unattended for many years.
“Unlike many of the lighthouses in the Maritimes, it is actually a concrete structure. Most of the lighthouses in the area are wooden,” said Alexander.
“The paint has stripped off over the years, there’s barely any paint left on it. When the concrete is not sealed with paint it would just eventually wear away and wear away and degrade. There are some small cracks in the structure, some patches that need to be made, and it really needs a coat of paint more than anything.”
Explore Lorneville is working with several people in the community who have volunteered their time to do the work on the lighthouse, which was built in the 1950s.
They are now in the process of raising more than $30,000 to cover the cost of supplies and upgrades to the popular Split Rock Trail.
Alexander said some of that money will also be used to cover the costs related to a land transfer.
Explore Lorneville will donate 95 acres of forested land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for the group to preserve and will retain the 12 acres surrounding the lighthouse.
“It’s definitely been a collaborative effort so far and I hope it continues to be a collaborative effort,” said Alexander. “I’d like to see members of the community come forward. I want the community to feel a real sense of ownership and responsibility for this area so that we can see it be preserved for many years.”
Donations can be made through the Nature Conservancy of Canada. All donations of $20 or more also receive a tax receipt.
Beautiful day on the #BayofFundy. @NCC_CNC was pleased to welcome media to our Musquash Estuary Nature Reserve. Together with Explore Lorneville Inc, we announced a goal to conserve another 117 acres and restore this landmark concrete Lighthouse built in the 1950s #nbpoli #nature pic.twitter.com/Kug4RIfMPr
— Andrew Holland (@Andrew__Holland) August 27, 2020
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