A dedicated group of Mattawa residents is determined to restore the town’s lighthouse which sits atop a rocky outcrop on an island in the Mattawa River near Mattawa Island. Everyone can see it from town while crossing the bridge or driving along Mattawan Street and people are excited to see the final results.
Kim Ricard has been helming the project. She moved to Mattawa a few years ago, loves the town, and is keen to spruce things up when she can. The lighthouse was a bit of an eyesore, so she became determined to fix it up.
“It’s been decaying over the years,” Ricard said of the lighthouse, “and this year’s flood didn’t help it at all. I just don’t believe anybody knew what to do as far as how to get it fixed, so I just decided to.”
And so, it began. She posted on local Facebook groups to first see who owned the lighthouse. See, the structure isn’t a full-size functioning lighthouse. It’s more of a decorative piece, but it’s still a substantial building.
After a few leads, she visited Town Hall to learn more about the lighthouse, and it turns out it was built by F.J. McElligott Secondary School students during shop class. The school donated the piece to the town, which was then installed on the island for all to enjoy.
That was about 25 years ago, and its beauty has faded a bit since then.
“The gentleman who transported it from the school over to the island is working on the crew to help rebuild it,” Ricard said. That gentleman is Malcolm Whalley, and for him, the project is coming full circle. As for the rest of the crew, obviously, Kim is involved, as is her husband, Tom. Malcolm Whalley’s daughter Brittany Aletha is also on board along with Jeremy Henderson.
They volunteer their weekends to do the work and pull up to the lighthouse via pontoon boat with their supplies. Most of the work is being done on site, so they have to haul away the old wood and shingles back to land, then dispose of it from there. It’s been a process, and they’ve been working on it for a few weeks now.
The community has been very supportive of the project, Ricard said. Residents are excited, and local businesses have given generously to support the rehabilitation. Wilson’s Home Hardware has donated materials – “everything we needed” – and North Bay Powder Coating, owned by Derek and Shannon Lefebvre, volunteered to restore the metal top of the lighthouse.
Ricard has been posting photos of the project’s progress on the Mattawa’s Venting Page on Facebook, to many positive comments. Some people are hoping the crew will install a solar light within the lighthouse, but the restorers are cautious, as they don’t want to disturb any of the neighbours. It’s a possibility, but more discussion will occur before that decision is made.
As for the top of the lighthouse, Ricard won’t be posting pictures of that anytime soon, as she’s waiting for the official unveiling of the lighthouse to show that off. Apparently, it’s so beautifully done, it will be worth the wait.
The big reveal is planned to occur at Voyageur Days on the last weekend of July.
“The people here are so wonderful,” Ricard said, and she can’t wait to present the newly restored attraction. “I think it’s going to look absolutely gorgeous when we’re done.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
