Lighthouses of Southern Ontario (Lake Ontario)

The nation of Canada was created by the British North America Act in 1867 with Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia as the four original provinces. The area of Ontario was part of New France, the former French empire in North America, from tthe founding of Québec city in 1608 until France was forced to cede its Canadian territories to Britain at the end of the Seven Years War in 1763. Today Canada is a federation of ten provinces and three large federal territories in the far north of the country.

In 1798 the southern portions of modern Ontario were separated from Québec as Upper Canada, known after 1841 as Canada West and taking the name Ontario in 1867. Its territory was expanded northward several times and the province reached it present boundaries in 1912.

Ontario has a tremendous width east to west, including the entire Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Across this vast area there were once about 250 lighthouses. More than 130 remain, a large percentage of them active. This page lists the lighthouses in the southern part of the province including Lake Ontario and the lower Niagara River. Lighthouses of Lake Erie are listed on the Southwestern Ontario page and lighthouses of the St. Lawrence River on the Southeastern Ontario page.

Southern Ontario is divided into counties, but in the metropolitan areas the counties are replaced by regional municipalities.

Aids to navigation in Canada are maintained by the Canadian Coast Guard. In 2008 Parliament passed the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act to designate and protect historic lighthouses.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. CCG numbers are from the Inland Waters volume of the List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. For lights near the international border, USCG numbers are from volume 7 of the U.S. Coast Guard Light List.

General Sources
Ontario Canada Lighthouses
Excellent photos plus historical and visitor information from Kraig Anderson's LighthouseFriends.com web site.
Lighthouses of Lake Ontario
Excellent photos posted by C.W. Bash; several of these photos appear on this page.
Lighthouses in Ontario, Canada
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Lighthouses of Ontario
An extension of Bryan Penberthy's US-lighthouses.com site.
Lighthouses in Ontario
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Canadian part of Great Lakes
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Leuchttürme Kanadas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals
Official Canadian light lists.
GPSNauticalCharts
Nautical chart information for Lake Ontario.
NOAA Nautical Charts
U.S. nautical charts for the regions along the border can be viewed online.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Lake Ontario.


Burlington Canal Main Light, Hamilton, October 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C. W. Bash


False Duck Island Light, Prince Edward County
Canadian Coast Guard photo

Prince Edward County (Northeast Lake Ontario) Lighthouses

Main Duck and False Ducks Islands Lighthouses
Main Duck Island
1914. Active; focal plane 23.5 m (77 ft); white flash every 6 s. 24.5 m (80 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery are red. Abandoned fog signal building and other structures in poor condition. Lesa Johnston's photo is at right, Robert English has a closeup photo, Lighthouse Digest has a Coast Guard photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view of the station. The Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust has applied for ownership of the light station. Main Duck Island is in the center of the lake about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of the Ontario shore and 16 km (10 mi) west of the U.S. lighthouse at Galloo Island, New York. Owned by U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles from 1941 to 1959, the island has been owned by Parks Canada since 1977 and was added to Thousand Islands National Park in 1998. Located at the western end of the island. Accessible only by boat; tours to the island and lighthouse are available. Site and tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Parks Canada (Thousand Islands National Park). ARLHS CAN-760; USCG 7-2585; CCG I-0424.
False Ducks (False Duck Island, Swetman) (2)
1965 (station established 1828). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); red flash every 4 s. 19 m (62 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with a flared top supporting the lantern; no gallery. The light has been moved atop the lantern. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Keeper's houses demolished. Lighthouse Digest has the Coast Guard photo at the top of this page, Laverna Tuttle has a view from the lake, and Google has a satellite view. A sibling of the lighthouses at Cape Forchu, Nova Scotia, and Point Escuminac, New Brunswick, this is the current light at the second oldest light station on the Canadian Great Lakes. The 1828 lighthouse was demolished in 1965 but the lantern and gallery were relocated to Milford (see below). In 2013 the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust applied to take ownership of the light station. Located at the easternmost point of Swetman (False Duck) Island, off Prince Edward Point at the eastern end of the Quinte Peninsula. Accessible only by boat; distantly visible from the end of county route 13 at Prince Edward Point. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-545; USCG 7-2615; CCG I-0427.

Main Duck Island Light, August 2022
Google Maps photo by Lesa Johnston

Quinte Peninsula Lakefront Lighthouses
The Quinte Peninsula is separated from the mainland by a long and narrow, Z-shaped inlet called the Bay of Quinte. At its western end the peninsula is joined to the mainland by an isthmus between the towns of Trenton and Brighton. The Murray Canal, 8 km (5 mi) long, cuts across the isthmus.
* Prince Edward Point (Point Traverse) (1)
1881. Inactive since 1959. 11 m (36 ft) square pyramidal wood tower attached to a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's quarters. Lantern removed. Sean Baradaran's photo is at right, Greg Kemp has a 2022 closeup photo, Jeff Rozema has an excellent 2004 photo, Lighthouse Digest has a photo by Susan LeFever, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Canadian Archives has a historic photo of the active light station. Clearly endangered, the abandoned lighthouse fell into very poor condition. The lighthouse was recognized as a Heritage Lighthouse in 2015. Sometime thereafter Parks Canada restored and repainted the lighthouse, with the results seen in Alain Quevillon's September 2018 photo. Located on the point, at the extreme end of county route 13 (rough road, 4WD recommended) about 35 km (22 mi) east of Milford. The last section of the road is gated, so a hike is also needed. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. ARLHS CAN-787.
* Prince Edward Point (Point Traverse) (2)
1959 (station established 1881). Active; focal plane 14.5 m (47 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white. A photo is at right. Located next to the original lighthouse. ARLHS CAN-788; USCG 7-2630; CCG I-0429.
** False Duck Island (Swetman) (1) (relocated lantern)
1967 tower with 1828 lantern. Inactive. 10 m (33 ft) round stone tower with the lantern, gallery, and 3rd order Fresnel lens of the original False Duck Island lighthouse. Adam Holbrough has a 2021 photo, Bash has a good photo, Penberthy has a nice closeup photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was built beside a maritime museum as a memorial to sailors of Prince Edward County and to celebrate the centennial of the unification and independence of Canada in 1867. Located at the intersection of county roads 10 and 13, southeast of Milford near South Bay. Site open; museum open on weekends from late May to mid October and daily in July and August; tower closed. Owner/site manager: Mariners Park Museum. ARLHS CAN-864.

Prince Edward Point Lights, Quinte Peninsula, July 2020
Google Maps photo by Sean Baradaran
* Point Petre (2)
1967 (station established 1833). Active; focal plane 21.5 m (71 ft); white flash every 10 s. 19 m (62 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower rising from a square workroom. No lantern, but there is a round "watch room" with the light displayed from its roof. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. The 1-story wood keeper's house is now used as an environmental research station. Robyn Keller has a 2022 photo, James Hatcher has a photo, Bash has a photo, Bill Patterson has a closeup, and Google has a drone view (a portion is seen at right), a street view, and a satellite view. This modern lighthouse replaced a historic stone tower very similar to the Nine Mile Point Light (see the Southeastern Ontario page). In 2013 the Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust applied to take ownership of the light station. In 2022 the keeper's house was demolished, to the horror of preservation groups; they began a campaign to secure protection for the light station. Located just east of the point, at the southern end of the Quinte Peninsula and at the end of county route 24. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be seen easily from the gate and visitors are sometimes admitted to take photos. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-763; USCG 7-2635; CCG I-0490.
Salmon Point
1871. Inactive since 1917. 9 m (30 ft) square wood tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Bash has a photo, Graydon Patterson has a good view from the lake, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is a good example of a design common in Canada in the late nineteenth century. The lighthouse was formerly available for vacation rental but now it appears to be abandoned and endangered. The owner, Taylor Thomson, lives in Toronto. In June 2018 the county notified Thomson that it intends to place a cultural heritage designation on the property. His representative reported that the "lighthouse was in an extreme state of disrepair due to acts of vandalism, dry rot, insect infestation and weathering." In September the county council decided not to assign a historic designation. Located in a campground off county route 18 west of Cherry Valley, marking the southwestern tip of the Quinte Peninsula. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS CAN-789.
Scotch Bonnet Island (1)
1856. Inactive since 1959. Ruined 16.5 m (54 ft) round stone tower attached, more or less, to the ruins of a 1-story stone keeper's house. A recent photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Bing has a satellite view. Long considered critically endangered, this lighthouse is actually lost already; it cannot be saved short of a complete rebuilding. Nonetheless it was recognized as a Heritage Lighthouse in 2015. Located on a rocky islet off the west coast of the Quinte Peninsula, about 800 m (1/2 mi) southwest of Nicholson Island. Accessible only by boat, and landing is not permitted. Site and tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Scotch Bonnet Island National Wildlife Area. ARLHS CAN-791.

Point Petre Light, Quinte Peninsula, Augsut 2017
Google Maps photo by AL Dube

Scotch Bonnet Island (2)
1959 (station established 1856). Active; focal plane focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 4 s. 19 m (63 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower painted white. Marinas.com has aerial photos. Located close to the ruins of the historic lighthouse. Site and tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Scotch Bonnet Island National Wildlife Area. ARLHS CAN-790; USCG 7-2645; CCG I-0491.

Bay of Quinte Lighthouses
[Narrows Shoal (3)]
Date unknown (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); red flash every 4 s. 8 m (26 ft) round tower painted white with a red band at the top and mounted on a round concrete pier. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The historic lighthouse was replaced by a light on a pole around 1920. Located on the south side of the Bay of Quinte east of Trenton. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-1337; CCG I-0472.
[Telegraph Island (3)]
Date unknown (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round tower painted white with a green band at the top. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The historic lighthouse, a square tower attached to a keeper's house, was replaced by a skeletal tower in 1959. Located on the south side of the Bay of Quinte about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Skyway Bridge (ON 49). Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-1085; CCG I-0459.

Northumberland County Lighthouses

Brighton and Cobourg Lighthouses
* Brighton Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (62 ft); continuous red light visible only along the range line. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower painted white and carrying a triangular daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guides vessels through Presqu'île Bay, the harbor of Brighton. The front light is in the bay just off Bay Street in Gosport. Located on Marina Drive just off Harbour Street in Brighton. Site open, tower closed. CCG I-0488.
*** Presqu'île Point
1840. Active; focal plane 23.5 m (77 ft); continuous red light. 21 m (68 ft) octagonal wood-encased limestone tower with gallery, painted white with red trim. Lantern removed in 1952. 500 mm lens. The original 1-story limestone keeper's house is part of the Lighthouse Interpretive Centre. Volunteers from the Friends of Presqu'île Park operate the Centre and its gift shop. A good 2007 photo and a 2022 photo are available, Eric Fletcher has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Canadian Archives has a historic photo of the light station. In 2013 the Presqu'ile Point Lighthouse Preservation Society was incorporated to work for restoration of the tower. An engineering study completed in 2015 recommended retaining the wood-shingled covering of the stone; the cost of a total restoration and installation of a replica lantern was estimated to be about $1 million. The 175th anniversary of the light was celebrated in July 2015. In July 2017 the Society won $93,000 in the This Place Matters crowdfunding contest. However, restoration efforts were set back sharply in January 2018 when a board member was accused of defrauding the Society of up to $70,000. While investigation of this crime continued the Society was still able to carry out a $120,000 project in 2018 to replace the shingles and windows of the tower. In 2023 a replica lantern was delivered; it was installed in October. Markus Doerr's photo at right shows the fully retored lighthouse. Located on the point in a provincial park at the end of Lake Street south of Brighton. Accessible by road; parking provided. Site open (entry fee); Interpretive Centre open daily in July and August and otherwise on weekends April through October; tower closed. Owner: Ontario Parks; site manager: Presqu'île Provincial Park. . ARLHS CAN-412; CCG I-0492.
* Cobourg East Pierhead (2)
1924 (station established 1844). Active (maintained by the Town of Cobourg); focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 12 m (40 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower on a square concrete base. Chris Creamer has a closeup photo, Steve Herr has a 2017 photo, Pushkar Verma has a 2021 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. The lighthouse was repainted in the summer of 2013. Located at the end of the east breakwater at Cobourg. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Owner/operator/site manager: Town of Cobourg. . ARLHS CAN-755; CCG I-0493.

Presqu'île Point Light, Brighton, February 2024
Google Maps photo by Markus Doerr

Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Lighthouses

Durham Regional Municipality (Oshawa and Whitby) Lighthouses
Oshawa Harbour Range Rear (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20.5 m (67 ft); continuous green light. 16 m (52 ft) square skeletal tower painted white and carrying a triangular daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guides vessels into the harbor of Oshawa, a city about 60 km (37 mi) east of Toronto. The front light is on a shorter tower. Located at the rear of the main quay at Oshawa. Site and tower closed (fenced) although the light can be seen from nearby. CCG I-0502.6.
* [Whitby East Pierhead (2)]
Date unknown (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted white with a red band at the top. Bryan Evans has a street view and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a 12 m (39 ft) octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, built by the municipal government on the west pier; it was demolished when the piers were rebuilt in 1958. The Whitby Public Library has historic photos of the 1857 lighthouse. Located at the end of the east pier at Whitby, an eastern suburb of Toronto. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-816; CCG I-0504.

Toronto City Lighthouses
* Toronto Harbour ("Tommy Thompson")
1974. Active (maintained by Toronto Port Authority); focal plane 22.5 m (74 ft); red flash every 10 s. 12 m (40 ft) octagonal steel tower without lantern. Upper 1/4 of the lighthouse painted red, the rest white. A photo by James Boukas is at right, Danielle Scott has a photo, Brandon Schaus has a 2017 closeup, Michael Rugosi has posted a distant photo, Nick Passakas has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the eastern outer entrance to the harbor, at the end of a long artificial peninsula known as the Leslie Street Spit. The area is part of a large city park beginning at the foot of Leslie Street off Lakeshore Boulevard (ON 2) on the east side of downtown. Parking is limited. Accessible by bicycle or by a hike of about 5 km (3 mi) each way through the park; from mid May to mid October a free shuttle van covers more than half this distance. Site open, tower closed. Owner: City of Toronto. Operator: Ports Toronto. Site manager: Tommy Thompson Park. . ARLHS CAN-544; CCG I-0509.2.
* [Toronto Main Harbour Channel Range Front]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off, visible only along the range line. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower painted white and carrying a trapezoidal daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe. Mark David Webster has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. A nearby structure, a square wood tower atop a 1-1/2 story wood building, is a lifeguard station. The range guides vessels to Toronto's modern harbor. The rear light is mounted on a warehouse 140 m (460 ft) north. Located on the beach in the Cherry Beach Park, at the foot of Cherry Street. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Ports Toronto. CCG I-0509.7.

Toronto Harbour Light, Toronto, May 2022
Google Maps photo by James Boukas
* Gibraltar Point
1808. Active (inactive officially since 1958); focal plane 20 m (66 ft); continuous red light. 19 m (62 ft) hexagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern and gallery painted red. Marcial Cuesta's photo is at right, Joseph Wisdom has another good closeup photo, a closeup 2021 photo is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The height of the tower was raised from 16 m (52 ft) in 1832. This is the oldest lighthouse in Ontario and second oldest in Canada, one of the oldest buildings in Toronto, and the oldest lighthouse on either side of the Great Lakes. It is famous as being haunted by the ghost of its first keeper, who died mysteriously in 1815. The city maintains the lighthouse but has failed to interpret it as the important historical monument it is. Lighthouse Digest has a January 2002 feature article on the lighthouse. Located at the southwestern point of Centre Island, which shelters the city's inner harbor. The island is accessible by passenger ferry from the foot of Bay Street in downtown Toronto. The lighthouse is accessible from the ferry by bike trails and two footbridges; bike rentals are available during the summer. Site open daily year-round; tower closed. Owner: City of Toronto. Site manager: Toronto Island Park. . ARLHS CAN-199.
* Queen's Wharf (Range Rear) (2) (relocated)
1861 (station established 1838). Inactive since 1912. 8.5 m (28 ft) octagonal cylindrical wood tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story octagonal wood base. Lighthouse painted brown, lantern dark red. Kevin White's 2024 photo is at the bottom of this page, Yuri Filiptsev has a closeup photo, Lighthouse Digest has Susan LeFever's photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Originally located on the New Pier, the lighthouse was abandoned when a new channel into the harbor was dredged in 1912. In December 1929 the lighthouse was placed on wooden rollers and pulled by a team of horses to its present position. In fall 2023 the lighthouse was restored, including a new roof and repainting. The lighthouse now stands beside Lakeshore Boulevard (ON 2) at Fleet Street on the west side of downtown Toronto. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Toronto. . ARLHS CAN-542.
* Toronto East Entrance Inner (Eastern Gap Range Rear) (2) (relocated)
1906 (station established 1895). Active (privately maintained); focal plane 8 m (26 ft); continuous red light. 7.5 m (25 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern, painted white; lantern painted red. Cristina Vasilenco has a 2019 photo, Alain Quevillon has a photo, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. The Eastern Gap is an entrance to Toronto's inner harbor created by a storm in 1858. The two Eastern Gap Range lights were deactivated in 1973. There is a 1980 photo showing the two lighthouses abandoned and in poor condition. In 1981 the two lights were relocated to the Humber Bay area on the southwest side of the city, with this lighthouse going to the Etobicoke Yacht Club. According to Michel Forand, who carefully researched these poorly-known lights, the lighthouse remained in poor condition for a long time but it has been restored recently. Located at the entrance to the yacht basin at the end of Humber Bay Park Road West. Site open, tower closed. Owner/operator/site manager: Etobicoke Yacht Club. ARLHS CAN-805; CCG I-0519.7.


Gibraltar Point Light, Toronto, June 2022
Google Maps photo by Marcial Cuesta

* Toronto East Entrance Outer (Eastern Gap Range Front) (2) (relocated)
1898 (station established 1895). Active (privately maintained and unofficial); focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous red light. 12.5 m (41 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern painted red. Stan Wojick has a photo and a more distant view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The two Eastern Gap Range lights were deactivated in 1973. When the two lighthouses were relocated in 1981 this lighthouse went to the Mimico Cruising Club. It was nicely restored and has been a landmark ever since. Located on the cruising club's quay off Humber Bay Park Road West, a short distance north of the old Inner Light. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Mimico Cruising Club. ARLHS CAN-806.

Peel Regional Municipality: Mississauga City Lighthouse
* Port Credit Inner Channel
1991. Active (maintained by City of Mississauga); focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal tower with an open lantern, raised on four concrete pillars, attached to the office of the Port Credit Business Association. Lighthouse painted white with red trim; lantern roof is red. Justin Keswick has a good photo, Monowar Hossain has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was intended as a replica of the 1882 Port Credit lighthouse, although it is not an exact copy. The original lighthouse was deactivated in 1918 and burned in 1936. The modern lighthouse is part of the Credit Village Marina development. Located on the south side of the Credit River a short distance from Lake Ontario, at Front Street and Lakeshore Road in Mississauga. Parking available. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of Mississauga. . ARLHS CAN-642; CCG I-0525.5.

Halton Regional Municipality: Town of Oakville Lighthouse
* Oakville (2) (relocated)
1889 (station established 1837). Inactive since 1960. 7.5 m (25 ft) hexagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern is red. Bash's photo is at right, Su Miko has a 2020 closeup photo, Lighthouse Digest has Susan LeFever's photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Replaced by a modern cylindrical lightbeacon , the lighthouse was relocated in 1960 and now stands on the grounds of a marina on the southwest side of Sixteen Mile Creek, just off Lakeshore Road (ON 2) in Oakville. Parking available nearby in the city's Shipyard Park. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Oakville Yacht Squadron. ARLHS CAN-632.
Oakville Light
Oakville Light, Oakville, October 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.W. Bash

Hamilton City Lighthouses
The cities of Burlington and Hamilton, at the west end of Lake Ontario, are separated by the Burlington Canal, a shortcut through a barrier spit providing access to the protected Hamilton Harbour. The two lighthouses of the harbor entrance are on the south side of the Burlington Canal, and thus are located in Hamilton.
* Burlington Canal South Pier (Burlington Canal Range Front) (2)
1909 (station established 1842). Active; focal plane 14.5 m (48 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower with gallery, rising from a square concrete base. Nashabel Vlogs's 2021 photo at right shows the lighthouse repainted white with a green band at the top. A nice moonrise photo is available, Boleslaw Dworzak has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, a round tower with lantern and gallery. Located at the end of the south pier at the entrance to the Burlington Canal, a shortcut through a barrier spit that provides access to the protected harbor of Burlington and Hamilton at the west end of Lake Ontario. Parking available off Eastport Drive under that street's bridge over the canal. AThe City of Hamilton's Breezeway Trail ends with a walk up the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-618; CCG I-0535.
* Burlington Canal Main (Burlington Canal Range Rear) (2)
1858 (station established 1837) (John Brown). Inactive since 1961. 17 m (55 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, unpainted; lantern is a rusty brown. 1-1/2 story red brick keeper's quarters. The builder, John Brown, is famous as the builder of the Imperial Towers of Lake Huron. This lighthouse is not usually included in that group, but it should be. One of Bash's photos appears at the top of this page, a 2021 closeup photo is available, Jimmy Emerson has a 2008 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Endangered: the lighthouse has been abandoned and in poor condition for years. The Beach Canal Lighthouse Group was organized in late 2003 to work for restoration of the tower. In September 2004 engineers studied the tower to determine what needs to be done, and in October 2007 the City of Hamilton agreed to provide $50,000 for detailed planning. Restoration, initially estimated to cost $250,000, is now estimated at $820,000. A serious problem was that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans does not want to convey ownership to a private nonprofit group and in December 2011 the city rejected a plan to acquire the lighthouse. In 2013 the group submitted a business plan to the Department. In 2014 the group replaced the roof of the keeper's cottage with a temporary (that is, not historically accurate) roof to prevent further damage to the interior of the building. In the summer of 2017 the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) proposed to take ownership and develop a maritime museum and interpretive center in a partnership with the Lighthouse Group and the city. In June 2021 the Department announced its plan to transfer the light station to HOPA; after the required three-month comment period the transfer took place in January 2022. HOPA plans to relocate the lighthouse to a more accessible location nearby on its own property before restoring it and opening it to the public. In November 2021 the lighthouse was designated as a Heritage Lighthouse. Located just to the west of the older lift bridge that carries Eastport Drive over the canal. Parking available off Eastport Drive under that street's bridge over the canal. Owner/site manager: Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority. ARLHS CAN-063.

Burlington Canal South Pier Light, Burlington, August 2021
Google Maps photo by
Nashabel Vlogs

Niagara Regional Municipality Lighthouses

St. Catherines City Lighthouses
* Port Dalhousie (Range Front)
1879. Active; focal plane 13 m (42 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 14 m (45 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and tower base painted green. Bash has a good closeup, a 2018 photo is available, Patrick Rose has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marked the northern entrance to the Welland Canal until the entrance was relocated to Port Weller in 1932. Located at the end of the breakwater on the east side of the Port Dalhousie harbor entrance, at the end of Lighthouse Road in St. Catherines. The pier was closed in April 2015 due to safety concerns but it was reopened after repairs. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-540; CCG I-0539.
* Port Dalhousie Range Rear (3)
1899 (station established 1852). Inactive since 1988. 12 m (40 ft) octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, covered by aluminum siding. Lighthouse painted white with green trim; lantern is green. Corey Seeman's photo is at right, Bash has a good closeup, Bobby Davidson has a 2022 drone view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The first lighthouse was replaced in 1893; the second burned after a lightning strike in August 1898. The City of St. Catharines took ownership of the lighthouse in 1997 and carried out an initial restoration in 2002-03. The exterior of the tower was repaired and repainted in 2010 as the first step in a general restoration of the lighthouse. The city has a web page on the lighthouse and its history. During the summer the lighthouse is the headquarters of the Niagara College Sailing School. Located at the end of the breakwater on the east side of the Port Dalhousie harbor entrance, at the end of Lighthouse Road in St. Catherines. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: City of St. Catharines. ARLHS CAN-541.
Port Weller Outer
1949. Active; focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); red flash every 10 s. 12 m (40 ft) lighthouse consists of a 6 m (20 ft) red pyramidal skeletal tower atop a 6 m (20 ft) square Art Deco concrete base. Bash has a closeup, G. Hine has a street view from the east breakwater, and Google has a closeup photo and a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the northern entrance to the Welland Canal, the shipping route between Lakes Ontario and Erie. Located at the end of the west breakwater at the canal entrance in the Port Weller district of St. Catherines. Access is blocked by an active Coast Guard station, but the lighthouse can be seen from the east breakwater on the other side of the canal entrance. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-766; CCG I-0551.06.
* Port Weller Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); continuous light, red, yellow or green depending on direction. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is the southbound entrance range for the Welland Canal. Located beside Lakeshore Road (ON 87) in Malcolmson Eco Park, on the west side of the canal in Port Weller. Operator: St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. Site open, tower closed. CCG I-0551.17.
Port Dalhousie Range Rear Light
Port Dalhousie Range Rear Light, St. Catherines, July 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Corey Seeman


Niagara-on-the-Lake Lighthouses
* Niagara River Range Front
1903. Active; focal plane 10 m (34 ft); continuous red light visible only on the range line. 10 m (34 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern is red. Hans Last has a good photo, Lesley Riedstra has a 2021 photo, Lighthouse Digest has Susan LeFever's photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the entrance to a marina on Ricardo Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a short distance from Lake Ontario. Site and tower closed but the lighthouse can be seen and photographed from outside the marina. Also visible from Fort Niagara, across the river in the U.S. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Niagara-on-the-Lake Sailing Club. ARLHS CAN-620; USCG 7-2505; CCG I-0549.
* Niagara River Range Rear
1903. Active; focal plane 14 m (47 ft); continuous red light visible only on the range line. 13.5 m (45 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern is red. Lighthouse Digest has Susan LeFever's photo, Corey Seeman has a photo showing both lights as seen from the U.S. side of the river, and Google has a satellite view; a tree partially blocks Google's street view. Located near the Niagara Pumphouse Art Centre at the end of Collingswood Street, off Ricardo Street, one block south of the front range light. Parking nearby. Site technically closed but there's no obstacle to approaching the tower; tower closed. Also visible distantly from Fort Niagara, across the river in the U.S. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: private. ARLHS CAN-621; USCG 7-2510; CCG I-0550.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Belleville (1881-1941?), Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. Nothing remains of the lighthouse. There is a small beacon on the marina breakwater. ARLHS CAN-810; CCG I-0470.
  • Bronte (1906-1959?), Lake Ontario southwest of Oakville. The lighthouse was demolished; there is a small modern beacon on the marina breakwater. ARLHS CAN-1051; CCG I-0530.
  • Frenchman Bay (1857-?), Lake Ontario east of Toronto. The lighthouse was demolished. There are small, privately maintained beacons on new breakwaters at the harbor entrance. ARLHS CAN-1064.
  • Mississauga Point (1804-1814), mouth of the Niagara River. This was the first lighthouse to be built on either side of the Great Lakes. An image and a second image of the lighthouse are available. The lighthouse was dismantled during the War of 1812 to provide stone for the building of Fort Mississauga. ARLHS CAN-761.
  • Newcastle (1846-1914), Lake Ontario east of Toronto. Nothing remains of the lighthouse; there is a small beacon at the harbor entrance. ARLHS CAN-1078; CCG I-0500.8.
  • Onderdonk Point (1912-ca. 1940), Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. Nothing remains of this lighthouse. There is a lighted spar buoy (CCG I-0475) offshore. ARLHS CAN-1080.
  • Peter Rock (1840-1957), Lake Ontario west of Cobourg, near Port Hope. This lighthouse has been replaced by a buoy. ARLHS CAN-1082; CCG I-0497.5.
  • Point Pleasant (1866-1956), Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. This lighthouse was demolished and nothing renains of the station. ARLHS CAN-1083.
  • Port Credit (1882-1936), Lake Ontario west of Toronto. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1918 but survived until it burned in 1936. ARLHS CAN-642.
  • Port Hope (1868-1950), Lake Ontario west of Cobourg. Nothing remains of the lighthouse; there are small, privately maintained beacons on the town's east and west breakwaters. ARLHS CAN-802.
  • Port Weller Main (1931-1971), Port Weller. The lighthouse has been removed.
  • Salt Point (1851-ca. 1913), Brighton, Lake Ontario north of Presqu'île Point. The lighthouse was removed. The light was replaced by the Salt Reef beacon (CCG I-0489), located on an islet to the east of the point. ARLHS CAN-822.
  • Toronto Harbour West Entrance Range Front (1856-1912), Toronto. Nothing remains of this light. ARLHS CAN-1340.
  • Toronto Range Rear (1838-ca. 1914), Toronto. Nothing remains of this light. The front light, now called the Queen's Wharf Light, has survived (see above). ARLHS CAN-804.

Queen's Wharf Light, Toronto, February 2024
Google Maps photo by Kevin White

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northeast: Southeastern Ontario | Southwest: Southwestern Ontario | West: Central Ontario

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted December 16, 2003. Checked and revised August 14, 2023. Lighthouses: 28. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.