For many, the life of a lightkeeper is shrouded in mystery. What would possess a person to want to live out on Double Top Island to care for the Western Islands lighthouse? Why would someone willingly forgo the basic necessities available on main land - where food supplies and medical doctors were easily accessible? This summer, the Museum on Tower Hill is hosting an exhibit about lighthouses in the Parry Sound area. These beacons of light and the people who kept them are an integral part of the history and culture of Georgian Bay.

Western Island Lighthouse

Featuring the houses and keepers from the Bustard Islands, Byng Inlet, Gereaux Island, Jones Island, Pointe au Baril, Red Rock Island, Snug Harbour, and the Western Islands, the Lights of the Sound exhibit will delve into the history and cultural impact of lighthouses in the Parry Sound area.

With displays on the life of a keeper, a re-construction of a room inside a lighthouse, and recounts of how light stations were constructed (the Western Islands keeper’s house was so well-built that dynamite had to be used to destroy the building, and even then part of it still stands), this exhibit is a must-see.

Far from the stereotypical lonely hermit who seeks a lightkeeping position to escape from the world, Adam Brown, who was keeper at Red Rock Lighthouse for almost 40 years, loved his community and often socialized at dances on the Mink Islands, or on trips into town. During the winter he lived on River Street in Parry Sound. Brown was also the first person in Parry Sound to make a long-distance phone call, contacting a friend from town who was visiting her daughter in New Jersey.

On Friday, July 26 at 2 p.m., author Susan Swan will be at the Museum on Tower Hill for a free reading of her newest novel, The Western Light. Set against the beautiful and dramatic shore of Georgian Bay, The Western Light is the prequel to the international bestselling, The Wives of Bath, and is Susan Swan’s long-awaited return to the life of the beloved narrator, Mary ‘Mouse’ Bradford.

During the exhibit, there will also be more events which include a talk about the current state of lighthouses and movie screenings. These programs will be announced on the Museum on Tower Hill’s website, www.museumontowerhill.com. Visitors are also encouraged to submit their own stories and photos of lighthouses to info@museumontowerhill.com.