Lighthouses of Canada: Southwestern 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 Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair River.

Southern Ontario was divided historically into counties, but in the metropolitan areas the counties have been combined into 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.
Lake Erie
Excellent lighthouse photos posted by C.W. Bash; several of these photos appear on this page.
Ontario, Canada Lighthouses
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.
Detroit River Cruise
Photos of the river lights taken in August 2007 and posted by Noah Greenia.
Leuchttürme Kanadas auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.
List of Lights, Buoys, and Fog Signals
Official Canadian light lists are available in both pdf and html formats.
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center: Light Lists
The USCG Light List can be downloaded in pdf format.
NOAA Nautical Charts
U.S. nautical charts for the regions along the border can be viewed online.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for Lake Erie.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Lake Erie.


Long Point Light, Long Point Peninsula, April 2015
Google Maps photo by Karl Heide

Lake Erie Lighthouses

Southernmost of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is 388 km (241 mi) long and 92 km (57 mi) wide at its greatest width. The surface of the lake is about 174 m (571 ft) above sea level. Ships sailing upstream on the St. Lawrence Seaway enter the east end of the lake from Lake Ontario via the Welland Canal and depart the west end via the Detroit River. The lake drains to Lake Ontario via the Niagara River, flowing over Niagara Falls.

Niagara Regional Municipality Lighthouses
(see also Southern Ontario)
Point Abino
1917. Inactive since 1995 (a decorative light is displayed, white, 2 s on, 2 s off, only toward the land). 30 m (98 ft) square concrete Greek Revival tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. 3rd order Fresnel lens. Lighthouse painted white; lantern is red. Amr Younis's photo is at right, Anderson has an excellent page for the lighthouse, Nicole McCutcheon has a 2021 photo, a March 2019 photo is available, Lighthouse Digest has an April 2006 feature article on the lighthouse, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Canadian Archives has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. The light was replaced by a buoy (red flash every 4 s, CCG I--0553.2). This remarkable lighthouse, designated a National Historic Site in 1998, has been the object of an extended controversy. The land behind the lighthouse is occupied by upscale vacation homes whose owners were determined to prevent any public access to the lighthouse through their neighborhood. Lighthouse Digest had a story on the problem in 1999. In May 2001 the town of Fort Erie agreed to accept ownership of the lighthouse and the Point Abino Lighthouse Preservation Society (PALPS) was formed to work for its restoration. In 2003 a deal was reached allowing tightly restricted public tours of the lighthouse. In 2007 there was considerable concern about the continuing deterioration of the building. In April 2009 the Town of Fort Erie applied to the National Historic Sites of Canada Cost Sharing Program for funding to support restoration. The program offered $425,000, and in July the town council decided (to the dismay of PALPS) to sell the 2-story keeper's house to raise matching funds. The house went on the market for $899,000 in August 2010. The $1.4 million restoration project was approved by the council in March 2011, began in May, and was completed in October. Richard Sadowski has a photo of the lighthouse during the restoration. The light was relit decoratively on 1 May 2017, in time for the 100th anniversay of the lighthouse. Located on the point, roughly halfway between Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Site and tower closed except for guided tours normally offered on the second and fourth Saturdays, June through September. Reservations are strongly recommended. Only the first floor of the lighthouse is opened. In 2019 most tours were canceled due to high waters in the lake preventing access to the lighthouse and in 2020 all tours were canceled due to the Covid pandemic. Tours resumed in 2022. Owner/site manager: Town of Fort Erie. . ARLHS CAN-385.
* Port Colborne Entrance Range Rear.
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); continuous red light. 13.5 m (44 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying a trapezoidal dayark colored orange with a black vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is the northbound entrance range for the Welland Canal, which allows ocean-going ships to bypass Niagara Falls between Lakes Erie and Ontario. Located on Welland Street north of Rodney Street, on the east side of the Canal in Port Colborne. Site and tower closed (fenced) but there's a good view from the street. CCG I-0551.61.

Point Abino Light, Fort Erie, June 2018
Flickr Creative Commons photo
by Amr Younis
Port Colborne Outer
1928. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); continuous red light, more intense to the south southwest. 7.5 m (25 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 1-story concrete fog signal building. The lighthouse, floodlit at night, is painted white, lantern red. Dave Morehead has a street view from the gallery, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a photo and a satellite view. This little lighthouse marks the southern entrance to the Welland Canal. A support group, Friends of Port Colborne Lighthouses , raises funds to preserve the town's two lighthouses. Located at the south end of the T-shaped west breakwater at the canal entrance in Port Colborne. Visible distantly from Lakeview Park at the end of Elm Street. Accessible only by boat (breakwater does not connect to shore). Site and tower generally closed, but tours are available during Canal Days in early August. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. . ARLHS CAN-765; CCG I-0551.72; USCG 7-6755.
Port Colborne Inner
1903. Active; focal plane 15 m (50 ft); white flash every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) square pyramidal tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. The lighthouse is painted white, lantern and gallery red. Jason Dugas has a 2018 photo, Lighthouse Explorer has Michel Forand's photo, M. Kiro has a drone view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. A support group, Friends of Port Colborne Lighthouses, has been organized to raise funds to preserve the town's two lighthouses. Located at the northeast end of the T-shaped west breakwater at the canal entrance in Port Colborne. Visible distantly from Lakeview Park at the end of Elm Street. Accessible only by boat (the breakwater does not connect to shore). Site and tower generally closed, but tours are available during Canal Days in early August. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-764; CCG I-0551.68; USCG 7-6765.

Haldimand County Lighthouses
Mohawk Island (Gull Island)
1848 (John Brown). Inactive since 1969. Approx. 24 m (80 ft) stone tower attached to a stone keeper's house; both buildings are in ruins. The lighthouse was gutted by fire, and only the shells of the buildings remain. Wikipedia has the good 2007 closeup seen at right, Lee Newton has a 2022 photo, Jason Blackwell has a 2021 closeup, a wintertime aerial photo is available, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo, a blogger has the history of the light station, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse is the first to be built by John Brown, who went on to build the six Imperial Towers of Lake Huron. Gravely endangered. The light was moved to a buoy (red flash every 4 s, CCG I-0561) after vandals broke into the lighthouse in 1969 and smashed the lens. The Mohawk Lighthouse Preservation Association was formed in 1990 to work for restoration of the lighthouse, but although the light is recognized as a Heritage Lighthouse there doesn't seem to be any recent preservation activity. Located on a small island about 1.5 km (1 mi) offshore between Mohawk Point and Rock Point. Visible from the end of Pyle Road off Lakeshore Road (regional route 3) about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Dunnville; probably visible also from Rock Point Provincial Park. Accessible only by boat. Site closed April 1 through August 31 (bird sanctuary), tower closed. Owner: unknown. Site manager: Mohawk Island National Wildlife Area. . ARLHS CAN-324; ex-CCG I-0560.

Mohawk Island Light, Dunnville, August 2010
Wikimedia public domain photo
by Codell
* Port Maitland Entrance (Range Front) (2)
1898 (station established 1846). Active (privately maintained); focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 12.5 m (41 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery are green. Jason Voll's photo is at right, Neal Doan has photos, Lighthouse Digest has Michel Forand's photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse became the front light of a range in 1921 but the range was discontinued and the rear light demolished in 2000. Located on the end of the west pier at the mouth of the Grand River, off regional route 11 in Port Maitland, south of Dunnville. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Haldimand County (?). . ARLHS CAN-617; CCG I-0563.
Nanticoke Channel Range Rear
Date unknown (1972?). Active; focla plane 22 m (72 ft); continuous red light. 21 m (70 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a large triangular daymark painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guided vessels carrying coal to the Nanticoke Generating Station, which was the largest coal-fired power plant in North America until it was decommissioned in 2013. Although the plant is being demolished, the range lights (so far) remain in operation. Located in a field off Sandusk Road about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of the power plant. CCG I-0566.01.

Norfolk County Lighthouses
* Port Dover West Pier (3)
1905 (station established 1845). Active; focal plane 11 m (37 ft); green light (2 s on, 2 s off). 8.5 m (28 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and gallery are green. User-activated fog horn (3 s blast every 30 s). Lighthouse Digest has Michel Forand's photo, C.M. Hanchey has a photo, a 2017 photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, another postcard view from about 1900 is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The original lighthouse burned in 1848 and was replaced the following year. The present lighthouse was repaired after being damaged by lightning in 1981. In 2014 Norfolk County agreed to take ownership of the lighthouse and the transfer took place in April 2015. In May 2016 the lighthouse was dedicated marking its designation as an Ontario Heritage site. Located on the end of the west pier at the foot of Harbour Street, two blocks off ON 6 in downtown Port Dover. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Canadian Coast Guard. Owner/site manager: Norfolk County. . ARLHS CAN-616; CCG I-0571.

Port Maitland Light, Dunnville, July 2013
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Jason F. Voll
* Long Point Cut (Old Cut, Long Point West End, Port Rowan)
1879. Inactive since 1916. 15 m (50 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story wood keeper's quarters. Lighthouse painted white with red trim; the lantern (a replica) is painted red. Bash has the photo seen at right, Penberthy's page has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a 2013 street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse marked a former channel through the base of the Long Point Peninsula; it was deactivated after the channel silted shut. There's only dry land in the area today. The building is a private summer residence. The lighthouse, which had been considerably modified, was restored by new owners Peter and Lynn Westway in 1999-2000 and is now close to its original appearance. The original lantern was removed long ago; the gallery is an observation deck with an open replica lantern. Located just off county route 59 near the entrance to Long Point Provincial Park. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be seen easily from the street. Owner/site manager: private. . ARLHS CAN-580.
Long Point (2)
1916. Active; focal plane 29.5 m (97 ft); white flash every 8 s (it is reported that every fourth flash is omitted, due to a broken prism in the lens). 31 m (102 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story fog signal building. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at Port Burwell Light. Karl Heide's photo is at the top of this page, Jennifer Dickenson has a 2021 photo, David Medeiros has a view from the lake, Lighthouse Digest has a Coast Guard aerial photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was originally 32 m (102 ft) tall, but its base became buried in the sand. During a renovation in the late 1980s the buried base was filled with concrete and a new entrance cut. The lighthouse marks the end of the Long Point Peninsula, a 40 km (25 mi) long finger of sand extending due east into Lake Ontario. Most of the peninsula is an ecological reserve, and there is no public land access to the light station. Accessible only by boat. Site open, if you can get to it by water; tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Long Point World Biosphere Reserve. ARLHS CAN-759; USCG 7-6785; CCG I-0579.

Long Point Cut Light, Port Rowan, January 2004
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.W. Bash

Elgin County Lighthouses
* Port Burwell
1840. Inactive since 1962 (a decorative light is displayed). 20 m (65 ft) octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; lantern and gallery painted red. A 3rd order Fresnel lens is still in place in the lantern. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Corey Seeman has a 2008 photo, Lighthouse Digest has Michel Forand's photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a 2023 street view and a satellite view. The Village of Port Burwell took ownership of the lighthouse in 1965. In 1986 the lighthouse was beautifully restored by Mennonite craftspeople using authentic construction techniques, and in 1987 ceremonies marked the relighting of the lighthouse. The Port Burwell Marine Museum, across the street, has a large collection of lighthouse lenses and artifacts, including the 3rd order Fresnel lens and rotating mechanism from Long Point Light. Events were held in the summer of 2015 to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the lighthouse. Now endangered. In January 2023 authorities closed the lighthouse, fearing that long-developing structural problems might cause its collapse. A $99,000 project carried out emergency stabilization measures. Plans are underway for a more complete restoration estimated to coast $1.5 million, but no funds are immediately available. Located on the waterfront in Port Burwell. Site open; museum open daily from Victoria Day weekend (late May) to Labour Day (early September), tower closed. Owner: Municipality of Bayham. Site manager: Port Burwell Marine Museum and Historic Lighthouse . ARLHS CAN-405.
* Port Burwell Approach (West Pier)
1914. Inactive since the late 1990s. 7.5 m (25 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower topped by a short skeletal tower. Lighthouse Digest's page has Alan Culley's photo and Google has a satellite view. This light was replaced by a light at the end of a new breakwater on the other side of the harbor entrance. Located at the end of a pier on the west side of the entrance to Otter Creek at Port Burwell. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-1041.
Port Stanley Breakwater
1908. Active; focal plane 11 m (37 ft); green flash every 5 s. 9.5 m (31 ft), steel skeletal tower mounted atop a 1-story square pyramidal concrete structure. Lighthouse painted white. Dmytro Orzhekhovskyi has a 2021 photo, Deborah Knott has a photo, Lighthouse Digest's page has Alan Culley's photo, Rong Yu has a 2018 closeup, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This light was placed on a new breakwater; there had been at least four lights on older breakwaters beginning in 1844. In July 2016 the Municipality of Central Elgin received the deed to the lighthouse and a $65,000 grant to help with its restoration and maintenance; the lighthouse was also give the designation of a Heritage Lighthouse. Located at the outer end of the breakwater on the west side of the harbor entrance at Port Stanley in Central Elgin. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Municipality of Central Elgin. . ARLHS CAN-622; CCG I-0588.

Port Burwell Light, Port Burwell, July 2012
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C. M. Hanchey

Chatham-Kent Municipality South Coast Lighthouses
* Pointe aux Pins
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. Pavlo Kobzar has a street view from the beach and Google has a satellite view. Located on a forested promontory about 6 km (3.5 mi) east of Rondeau Harbour. The South Point Trail (8 km roundtrip) passes close to the tower. Note: not to be confused with the Pointe aux Pins Light near Sault Sainte Marie. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: Rondeau Provincial Park. CCG I-0590.
* Rondeau East Pier (3)
1905 (station established 1876). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) square pyramidal skeletal steel tower with lantern and gallery. Tower and gallery painted white, lantern red. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Val West has a 2008 photo, Lighthouse Digest's page has Michel Forand's photo, Wesley Hewlett has a view from the lake, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The tower was prefabricated by Gould, Shapley & Muir of Brantford. It served as the front light of the entrance range until 1947, when that range was relocated to the west pier. Also in 1947 the keeper's house was sold and relocated as a private residence; we don't know if it is still standing. Located at the end of the east breakwater at the entrance to Rondeau Harbour in Ereiau. Accessible only by boat (the breakwater does not connect to shore); easily visible from the west pier across the entrance. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-636; CCG I-0591.
* Rondeau West Breakwater (Range Front)
1912. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal white concrete tower; there is a small gallery but no lantern. Val West has a photo, a 2022 photo is available, Lighthouse Digest's page has Michel Forand's photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Zach Morse has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This light became the front light of the entrance range in 1947. Located at the end of the west breakwater at the entrance to Rondeau Harbour in Erieau. Parking available nearby. Accessible in good weather by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-623; CCG I-0592.
* Rondeau West Breakwater Range Rear
Date unknown (station established 1947). Active; focal plane 18 m (60 ft); continuous green light. 16 m (53 ft) square pyramidal steel tower, painted white; no lantern. The tower also carries a triangular daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. This light is located directly across the entrance channel from the east pier light. Parking available nearby. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-1339; CCG I-0593.

Rondeau East Pier Light, Rondeau, July 2012
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C. M. Hanchey

Essex County South Coast Lighthouses
* Leamington
1880. Inactive since 1923. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. Bash's photo is at right and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Owned by an association of small summer cottage owners, the lighthouse has been converted to provide restrooms for club members. Located just west of Erie Street South and just north of the Pelee Island ferry terminal in Leamington. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Leamington Lighthouse Club. ARLHS CAN-758.
* Kingsville Range Rear (relocated)
1889. Inactive since 1936. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal wood tower, painted white; lantern painted gray. After deactivation the lighthouse was sold into private ownership and incorporated into a cottage. Later donated to the village, it was displayed from 1973 to 1991 at Lakeside Park, and then it was moved again to the Kingsville Historical Park. Sam Nelson has a 2019 photo and Google has a 2012 street view of the lighthouse at the Historical Park. Badly deteriorated by that time, it was repaired in 1995. A thorough restoration of the lighthouse was completed in 2003, aided by a grant of $60,500 from the Trillium Foundation. In 2022 the lighthouse was relocated a third time, to a waterfront park near the town's Grovedale Arts and Culural Centre. Google has a 2023 street view and a satellite view of the lighthouse at its new home. Located on Park Street near Lansdowne Avenue, not far from the Pelee Island ferry terminal. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Kingsville Historical Park. ARLHS CAN-756.

Pelee Township (Eastern Lake Erie Offshore) Lighthouses
Southeast Shoal
1927 (lightship station established 1901). Active; focal plane 21 m (70 ft); red flash every 10 s. 18 m (60 ft) square 3-story concrete building mounted on a square pyramidal base; lantern replaced by a helicopter landing pad. Lighthouse painted white with red trim. Lightphotos.net has a photo, Lighthouse Digest has Stan Severi's aerial photo, and the shoal is a fuzzy spot in Bing's satellite view. The light marks the south end of dangerous shoals extending from Point Pelee on the mainland; the main channel for ships sailing through Lake Erie passes south of this lighthouse and then north of the Pelee Passage Light (next entry). This lighthouse was gutted by a disastrous explosion and fire on 7 July 1950. The Lake Carriers Association chartered a private lightship for the shoal in 1901; it was replaced by an official lightship station in 1910. Located at the south end of a dangerous shoal extending south from Pélee Point into the Pélee Passage. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-468; USCG 7-6795; CCG I-0597.
Leamington Light
Leamington Light, Leamington, January 2004
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C. W. Bash
Pelee Passage (2)
1975 (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 28 m (91 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (40 ft) round cylindrical steel (?) tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one corner of a 1-story keeper's quarters with a helipad on its roof, all mounted on a cylindrical steel caisson. Tower and building painted white, lantern and caisson green. Robert Dietz has a photo, Gregory Goodwill has a 2023 photo, and Lighthouse Digest's page has Stan Severi's aerial photo but the light is only a barely visible spot in Bing's satellite view. This lighthouse replaced the Point Pelee (Pelee Spit) lighthouse. The original lighthouse was a round steel-plated tower with lantern and gallery mounted on a caisson 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Point Pelee; Anderson has a historic photo from 1913. When it was replaced by the present light in 1975 it was relocated to Lakeview Park in Windsor (see listing below). The lighthouse marks the north end of the Middle Ground Shoal about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Southeast Shoal; the two lights mark the opposite ends of the Pelee Passage, a narrow deepwater channel into the western end of Lake Erie. . Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-371; USCG 7-6835; CCG I-0602.
Pelee Island
1833. Inactive since 1909. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) round rubblestone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted stone; lantern painted black. A photo appears at right, Wikipedia has a photo, Nelum Tennakoon has a 2021 photo, a closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This historic but long-abandoned lighthouse fell into picturesque ruins, as seen in a 1965 photo from Archives Canada. It was rescued by the Relight the Lighthouse Committee in a restoration in 1999-2000. Lighthouse Digest has Tim Harrison's 2001 article on the effort to save and restore the lighthouse. However, the tower is still shored up by timbers and the lighthouse is threatened by wave action; riprap has been piled around the tower to protect it. Pelee Island, the largest island in Lake Erie, has a permanent population of about 250. Located on Lighthouse Point at the northern tip of Pelee Island. Accessible by a walk of at least 1.5 km (1 mi) from the end of East Shore Road (bring insect repellant). Parking is available at the trailhead. Pelee Island is accessible by ferries from Kingsville and Leamington, Ontario, and from Sandusky, Ohio. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Ontario Parks (Lighthouse Point Provincial Nature Reserve). . ARLHS CAN-370.
Pelée Island Light
Pelee Island Light, Pelee Island, July 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Library Playground
[Middle Island]
1872. Inactive since 1918. The lighthouse, a 15 m (49 ft) square pyramidal wood tower attached to a keeper's house, burned sometime after 1955, but the stone foundation can be seen and a wood shed survives in poor condition. A good description of the island and its history is available and Google has a satellite view of the ruins. Middle Island, located 11 km (7 mi) east of Middle Bass Island, Ohio, is the southernmost point of Canada. Formerly private, the island was bought by the Nature Conservancy in 1999 as an addition to Point Pelee National Park. Accessible only by boat. Site open. Owner/site manager: Parks Canada (Point Pelee National Park). ARLHS CAN-1076.
Colchester Reef (3)
Date unknown (station established 1885; lightship station established 1870s). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); red flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower mounted atop the cylindrical stone pier of the 1885 lighthouse. The tower also carries a horizontally slatted daymark. Entire structure painted red. Phillip Block has a photo, Wikipedia has a page with a small 2003 photo, and a 1993 photo is available, but the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Michel Forand has a historic photo of the original lighthouse. Lighthouse Digest also has Stan Severi's photo of the second (1954) lighthouse, which was cantilevered off one side of the pier to make room for a helicopter landing pad. Located at the south end of the reef about 6 km (4 mi) south of Colchester. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-143; USCG 7-6870; CCG I-0620.
Middle Sister Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); green flash every 4 s. 23.5 m (77 ft) square skeletal tower painted white. A distant view is available, David Meadows has a 2017 view, Mack Feltz also has a view, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Middle Sister Island is a 4 hectare (10 acre) island in the middle of the west end of Lake Erie, just north of the international border. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (the island is privately owned). Owner: Canadian Coast Guard. Site manager: private. USCG 7-6875; CCG I-0623.

Detroit River Lighthouses

The Detroit River is 44 km (28 mi) long, varying in width from 0.8 to 4 km (0.5-2.5 mi). The U.S. city of Detroit is on the west side of the river across from the Canadian city of Windsor. Detroit takes its name from the French word détroit, meaning a strait, because the river functions as a strait connecting Lake Erie to the much smaller Lake St. Clair. The river falls only 1 meter (3 ft) between the two lakes, so no locks are required. Lights on the U.S. (west) side of the river are described on the Southeastern Lower Michigan page.

Amhurstburg (Essex County West Coast) Lighthouses
Bar Point Pier (2?)
Date unknown (station established 1962). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); one long flash every 10 s, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical tower formerly mounted on a 1-story concrete workroom. Entire structure painted white. Greenia has a closeup photo and Bing has a satellite view. This light replaced a lightship. It marks the fork where northbound ships must select the Livingstone Channel on the west (the main channel for through traffic) or the Amherstburg Channel on the east side of Bois Blanc (Boblo) Island. Located on a square concrete pier off Bar Point, southeast of Willow Beach. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-1008; USCG 7-6995; CCG I-0642.
Bar Point Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18.5 m (60 ft); continuous yellow light. 16.5 m (54 ft) square skeletal tower, painted white. Greenia has a photo and Google has a satellite view. This range guides northbound vessels approaching Amherstburg. Located on the Bar Point Dyke, off the east bank of the river south of Amherstburg. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. USCG 7-7005; CCG I-0649.
* Boblo (Bois Blanc) Island
1837. Inactive since 1959; charted as a landmark. 12 m (40 ft) round limestone tower, painted white; lantern destroyed. Michael Stoller's photo is at right, Linda Goodhue has a 2009 closeup, a view from the river is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Vandals set a fire in 1954 that gutted the tower and destroyed the lantern. The lighthouse provides an early example of what later became the "Imperial Tower" style of Canadian lighthouses. Parks Canada has owned the lighthouse since 1961. The park service has stabilized the building and the tower appeared to have been recently painted in a 2005 photo. However, there are no plans to provide any public access to the tower. Much of the island is occupied by an upscale residential community. For a time no visitors were allowed, but more recently the island has been reopened; it is accessible by ferry from Amherstburg. Note: "Boblo" is a corruption of "Bois Blanc" (white wood), a reference to birch trees on the island. Located near the southern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Parks Canada. Site manager: Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse and Blockhouse National Historic Site. ARLHS CAN-049.
* Hackett Reach Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); continuous red light. 23 m (75 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries an inverted triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Noah Greenia has a closeup photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guides northbound vessels into Amherstburg. Located at the foot of Park Street in Amherstburg, adjacent to the Boblo Island ferry dock. Site open, tower closed. USCG 7-7025; CCG I-0657.

Boblo Island Light, Amherstburg, November 2013
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Michael Stoller
* Fort Malden Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); continuous red light. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries an inverted triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Greenia has a distant view and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The range guides southbound vessels into Amherstburg. Located on the west side of Sandwich Street near St. Arnaud Street in Amherstburg. Site open, tower closed. USCG 7-7160; CCG I-0668.
Amhurstburg Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous yellow light. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries an inverted triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Greenia has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. The range guides norhbound vessels past Amherstburg. Located on Crystal Island, a spoil bank island off Amhurstburg. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. USCG 7-7095; CCG I-0664.
* Limekiln Crossing Range Rear (4?)
Date unknown (station established 1866). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous red light. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical white tower carrying an inverted triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Greenia has a view from the river and Google has a street view and the satellite view. The range guides norhbound vessels past Amherstburg. Located on Front Road North about 800 m (1/2 mi) north of Texas Street in Amhurstburg. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-1132; USCG 7-7130; CCG I-0673.
Livingstone Channel Upper Entrance (3)
About 1980 (station established 1915). Active; focal plane 12 m (40 ft); white flash every 10 s. Round cylindrical steel tower without lantern, rising from the center of a 1-story workroom, mounted on a square crib. Entire structure painted white with red trim. Noah Greenia has posted a closeup photo, Daniel Carene has a 2021 drone view, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was overturned by the freighter E.J. Kulas in September 1952. Located in the river north of Amherstburg. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-1038; USCG 7-7195; CCG I-0677.
Ballard Reef (Livingstone Channel Light D77)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) square cylindrical tower centered on a square 1-story workroom, mounted on a round concrete pier. Lighthouse painted white with green vertical stripes at the corners of the tower. Noah Greenia has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. The "D" is for "downbound": this channel is for downbound (southbound) vessels. from 1893 to 1899 the reef was marked by U.S. Lightship LV-63 (with permission of the Canadian government). Located about 600 m (0.4 mi) north northwest of the Livingstone Channel Upper Entrance Light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. USCG 7-7200; CCG I-0678.

Windsor City Lighthouse
* Pelee Passage (1) (relocated to Windsor)
1902. Inactive since 1975 (a decorative light is displayed); charted as a landmark. 21 m (70 ft) round steel tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with red trim; lantern is red. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Martin Crest has a closeup photo, Lighthouse Digest's page has Pat Spice's photo, R.J. Rauen has a 2022 photo, Paul Higginbottom has a 2008 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse was originally built on a caisson off Pelee Island in Lake Erie (see above). It was disassembled in 1975 and rebuilt in 1980 on the present site in Windsor. Locally it is often called the Riverside Lighthouse. Located on Riverside Drive East at Riverdale Avenue, opposite Peche Island, about 10 km (6 mi) east of the downtown tunnel. Site open, tower closed. Owner: City of Windsor. Site manager: Lakeview Park Marina. . ARLHS CAN-581M.

1902 Pelee Passage Light, Windsor, June 2012
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.M. Hanchey

Lake St. Clair and St. Clair River Lighthouses

Lake St. Clair is a shallow lake about 40 km (25 mi) in diameter. A navigation channel has been dredged northeast to southwest across the lake, connecting the inflowing St. Clair River to the outflowing Detroit River. The St. Clair River, connecting Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, is 65 km (40 mi) long, dropping only 2 m (5 ft) in elevation between the two lakes.

Chatham-Kent Municipality West Coast Lighthouses

* Thames River Range Rear (2)
1818 (reconstructed 1973-75; station established 1810). Reactivated (inactive 1966-74) but now unofficial; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); continuous red light. 16.5 m (54 ft) round limestone tower, painted white with red trim; lantern painted red. Corey Seeman's photo is at right, he also has a 2013 photo, another photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front light has been replaced by a post light (focal plane 6 m (20 ft); red flash every 5 s; CCG I-0712). This is Ontario's second oldest lighthouse, after the Gibraltar Point lighthouse at Toronto. Its height was raised from about 11 m (35 ft) around 1870. The lighthouse was in very poor condition, leaning and cracked, before being restored in 1973-75 by the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority. The lighthouse was taken down, stone by stone, and rebuilt on a restored foundation. The site is leased to the Coast Guard for a search and rescue station. The light has been dropped from the CCG Iist, probably because the range is no longer aligned properly with the entrance channel. Located on the south side of the mouth of the river, just off Lake St. Clair; the lighthouse is off Harbour Drive in Lighthouse Cove. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (Lighthouse Conservation Area). Site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-594; ex-CCG I-713.
Maybury Highway
1928. Active; focal plane 7 m (24 ft); red flash every 4 s. 5.5 m (18 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower built on a small square crib. No lantern. Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the St. Clair Flats Channel, which is also the international border, at the south entrance to the St. Clair River. Accessible only by boat; should be visible from a residential area on the U.S. side. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-1015; USCG 7-9605; CCG I-734.
Southeast Bend
1913. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); red flash every 4 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower built on a small square crib. No lantern. Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the St. Clair Flats Channel, which is also the international border, at the south entrance to the river. Accessible only by boat; should be visible from a residential area on the U.S. side. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Canadian Coast Guard. ARLHS CAN-1023; USCG 7-9645; CCG I-736.
Squirrel Island Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25.5 m (84 ft); continuous yellow light. 24.5 m (81 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white and carrying an inverted triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Google has a distant street view and Bing has a satellite view. This range guides northbound vessels in the St. Clair Cutoff, a dredged shortcut into the South Channel of the St. Clair River. Located in marshland south of Bush Marsh Road on Squirrel Island. There's no good access to this location. USCG 7-8585; CCG I-733.
Thames River Range Rear Light
Thames River Range Rear Light, Tilbury, July 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Corey Seeman

Lambton County Lighthouses
* Corunna Range Rear (relocated)
1892. Inactive 1941-1951 and since 1982. 13 m (42 ft) square pyramidal wood tower, painted white. No lantern, but the tower is surmounted by a diamond-shaped slatted daymark. Nickole Atkinson has a closeup photo and the photo at right, Lighthouse Digest has a Moore Museum photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was originally located on the St. Clair River at the end of Cameron Street in Corunna. When it was deactivated in 1941 local residents paid $75 to buy it so that it would not be demolished. In 1951 the Coast Guard bought the tower back and reactivated it. It was deactivated for good in 1982 because trees had obscured the view from the river. The lighthouse was then relocated 5 km (3 mi) west to the grounds of the Moore Museum, located at 94 Moore Line off ON 40 in Mooretown. Site open, museum open Friday through Tuesday during the summer months, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Moore Museum. ARLHS CAN-1029.
* [Point Edward Range Front (3)]
Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 13 m (42 ft); continuous red light. 9.5 m (31 ft) round cylindrical "Claymar" tower, painted white. The tower also carries a triangular slatted daymark, painted orange with a black vertical stripe. Bash has a 2008 photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of the original Point Edward Light (notice the U.S. Gratiot Point Light in the distance). It was demolished after being replaced by a skeletal tower in 1959. The range guides vessels approaching the St. Clair River entrance at the southern end of Lake Huron. The rear light is mounted on the Blue Water Bridge (ON 402) where it crosses Alexandra Avenue. Located at the northern end of Fort Street in Point Edward, opposite the Fort Gratiot lighthouse in the U.S. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS CAN-795; USCG 7-10025; CCG I-768.

Corunna Range Rear Light, Mooretown, July 2018
Google Maps photo by Nickole Atkinson

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: West Central Ontario | Northeast: Southern Ontario | East: Western New York | West: Southeastern Lower Michigan

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted December 16, 2003. Checked and revised August 21, 2023. Lighthouses: 39. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.