New sense of urgency to restore Swallowtail Lighthouse

The need to restore an iconic Grand Manan lighthouse has taken on a new sense of urgency in recent days.

Fundraising efforts have been ongoing to restore the exterior of the Swallowtail Lighthouse the keepers’ house.

The 90-year-old shingles on the lighthouse can no longer withstand the kind of weather that routinely blows in from the Bay of Fundy.

Organizers had been hoping to complete the work before water damage began to impact the 160-year-old lighthouse’s interior.

“Unfortunately, time has run out,” fundraising co-chair Bart Myers said in a post on Swallowtail’s Facebook page.

Head light keeper Ken Ingersoll recently discovered second-floor damage to the lighthouse’s lath.

Large pieces of the plaster ceiling had also fallen to the floor, according to the Facebook post.

“We now have approximately nine to 12 months to secure the lighthouse’s exterior to prevent more extensive and potentially irreversible damage,” said Ingersoll.

“If we can meet that timeline then the current damage can be repaired.”

About $160,000 of the $479,000 needed for the restoration work has been raised so far.

CHCO-TV in Saint Andrews is sponsoring a fundraiser on April 16 to help the campaign reach its goal. Volunteers will also be launching a new series of fundraisers.

Donations can be made by e-transfer to swallowtail.donations@gmail.com or by going to www.swallowtaillighthouse.com.