About a year ago, Paul Capon paid a visit to the Porphyry Point lighthouse, an isolated and abandoned reminder of the area’s shipping-heavy past.
What he saw was depressing.
Vandals had broken most of the windows in the residence the lighthouse keeper would have called home. There was other damage on the wind-swept craggy isle, the ravages of time taking their toll on any structure built, no matter how hardy it might be.
But Capon, who heads the volunteer, not-for-profit group Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior, didn’t let what he found get him down.
Instead, he and a crew of volunteers saw an opportunity at the southern tip of the Black Bay peninsula.
A year later the site has been completely restored and is set to open next summer to the general public, fuelling an already popular lighthouse tourism market, perhaps the crown jewel of any Northern Ontario tour.
It was a labour of love, Capon said of restoring the station, first built in 1873.
“You would hate to see these facilities deteriorate and be destroyed or burnt down,” Capon said. “Part of it was to preserve that history. And the other thing was just the sheer beauty, and dare I say the iconic nature of what lighthouses are to people.
“Once you’ve come, people don’t forget the area, they don’t forget the lighthouse and it has a sense of comfort for people.”
The work at the site, accessible by air and water only, was extensive.
“I think over 40 windows had to be replaced in the house. A lot of trees were trimmed and cut and a lot trails were rehabilitated and walls were fix. There was a lot of manual labour,” Capon said.
They’ve also added a helicopter landing pad and are aiming to allow overnight tourists to camp out starting in 2015.
Greg Wilson, superintendent of both Sleeping Giant and Porphyry Island provincial parks called the restoration a unique tourist attraction, boasting unparalleled beauty and scenic panorama views of Lake Superior, many of its islands and a rare look at the other side of the Sleeping Giant.
“It’s quite breathtaking,” Wilson said.
“There’s a lot historical, natural and cultural values on the island that I think visitors can take a lot away from. It’s a very unique experience and it’s a great partnership for Ontario Parks, because it does allow users to experience the area and also promote our tourism, as well as protection objectives.”
Capon said he’s hoping it’s just the start, eying other abandoned lighthouses in the area as potential fixer-uppers.
Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey says combined with the National Marine Conservation Area and dive tourism, the lighthouse restoration is potentially great for driving visitors to Thunder Bay and the North Shore.
“We know that lighthouses are attractions. People want to get out and see lighthouses,” Harvey said. “For sailing charters, one of the most popular tours in this area is to do the lighthouse tour from Thunder Bay, all the way down to Rossport.”
More options means more tourists, which means economic spinoffs for nearby communities, he added.
That suits Archie Hoogsteen just fine.
“There are a great many people interested in lighthouses,” said the owner of Archie Fishing Charters, seeing plenty of new business potential. “I’ve driven people out to Porphyry who have visited over 7,000 lighthouses.
Charter boats and flights, offered by Wilderness North Air and Wisk Air, are weather dependent.
