Ontario Lighthouse Community

Watts and Son Boat works in Collingwood made a lot of boats for the Canadian lighthouses on The Great Lakes.

On this day Aug 7, 1901 Lightship Burned and Sunk Crew Taken to Cleveland by Steamer Codorus Southeast Shoal, in Pelee passage, is again without a light. The old schooner Smith and Post, installed there by the Lake Carriers’ Association, burned to the water’s edge and then sunk about noon on Wednesday. The fire was first reported at Detroit by the captain of the steamer Trevor, which passed up Wednesday night. The captain said he saw the fire and went to render what assi...stance he could, but found nobody in sight, and that while he stood off the light the schooner sank. A dispatch from Cleveland on the burning of the lightships says: The schooner caught fire from the boiler, and the blaze spread rapidly. The crew was taken off by the Anchor line steamer Codorus and brought here. The crew of the Codorus had difficulty in rescuing the men, owing to her inability to get close to the vessel on account of the shoal water she was lying in. The Smith & Post was chartered by the Lake Carriers’ Association this summer and equipped as a lightship about a month ago. She was owned by Charles Doville. The vessel burned to the water’s edge and then sank out of sight, leaving nothing to mark the location of the shoal but an anchor buoy. See more

Lightship Burned and Sunk Crew Taken to Cleveland by Steamer Codorus Southeast Shoal, in Pelee passage, is again without a light. The old schooner Smith and Post, installed there by the Lake Carriers’ Association, burned to the water’s edge and then sunk about noon on Wednesday. The fire was first reported at Detroit by the captain of the steamer Trevor, which passed up Wednesday night. The captain said he saw the fire and went to render what assistance he could, but fou...nd nobody in sight, and that while he stood off the light the schooner sank. A dispatch from Cleveland on the burning of the lightships says: The schooner caught fire from the boiler, and the blaze spread rapidly. The crew was taken off by the Anchor line steamer Codorus and brought here. The crew of the Codorus had difficulty in rescuing the men, owing to her inability to get close to the vessel on account of the shoal water she was lying in. The Smith & Post was chartered by the Lake Carriers’ Association this summer and equipped as a lightship about a month ago. She was owned by Charles Doville. The vessel burned to the water’s edge and then sank out of sight, leaving nothing to mark the location of the shoal but an anchor buoy. See more

While a light on Lyal Island helped to guide mariners into Stokes Bay on the east shore of Lake Huron, it was still tricky for them to navigate the hidden underwater shoals and islands at the bay’s entrance. To better mark the bay, range lights were installed in 1904. The front range light was placed on Knife Island, a tiny island near the middle of the mouth of the bay. It was a square white pyramidal wooden tower that displayed a flashing red light from a 30-foot (9.1 m) ...focal plane for about 12 miles (19 km). The rear range light was placed behind the front one on the east side of the Stokes Bay mainland. It was a square steel skeletal tower with an enclosed watchroom and a square lantern. From a 61-foot (18.6-m) focal plane it displayed a fixed red light with a 15 mile (24.2 km) visibility. In 1906 a shelter shed constructed by R.E. Moore of Lion’s Head was added at a cost of $165. See more

A picture of Fox Island Light in Lake Simcoe. It was also called Muskoka Island and was in service from prior to 1876 until at least 1922. the last keeper was M Emes. He made $420 a year.