Project Title:

Sheringham Point Lighthouse

Project Organization:

Town of Shirley

Project Investment:

  • Island Coastal Economic Trust: $89,900
  • Applicant Equity: $95,000
  • Total Budget: $184,899

Project Highlight:

The historic Sheringham Point Lighthouse in Shirley, also known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific”, was declared a National Heritage Lighthouse in 2015. It currently attracts 25,000 visitors annually. This project will add historical elements, interpretive information and access improvements to enhance visitor experience and reach.

Over the past 5 years, the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society (SPLPS) has completed major restorations to this devolved lighthouse, with the goal of transforming it into a vibrant tourism asset. The SPLPS also transitioned to open-year-round schedule to accommodate visitor growth.

This new project aims to expand visitors’ engagement and reach through user-friendly and historically meaningful improvements.

Plans include building a new interpretive centre to display key historic artefacts, including a reconstructed Fresnel lens and restored foghorn, and an outdoor, covered display to showcase larger historical artifacts.

Two additional trail spurs will be constructed, as well as a new wheelchair accessible viewing platform, to facilitate movement from the interpretive centre to viewpoints. The site entrance will also be reconfigured to make it more accessible.

In addition, the existing interpretive plaza will be expanded and enhanced in partnership with T’Sou-ke First Nation to include Indigenous historical elements.

Island Coastal Economic Trust funded this project on 2021 through the Capital and Innovation program.