Oakville Lighthouse

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About The Site

Oakville sketch

The original Oakville Lighthouse was built in 1837, to mark the mouth of 16 Mile Creek, roughly 15 miles west of Toronto. The lighthouse stood at the end of a pier until 1886, when it was swept into Lake Ontario by a storm.

In 1889, a new, 25-foot high octagonal wooden structure replaced the old lighthouse. This structure served until the 1960's, when it was deactivated and moved to the grounds of the Oakville Yacht Squadron in 1960.

A plaque at the tower reads:

The Old Lighthouse
Built 1875
Removed from the East Pier and
Preserved in this location
1960
through the interests of the citizens
of
the town of Oakville

A second plaque at the site recognizes Allan Morrison Masson, who helped to preserve the tower. Masson was a founding member of the Oakville Yacht Squadron and former mayor of Oakville.

Oakville Harbour's current marker is a tall, red and white cylindrical cigarette-like tower, like the ones which mark the ends of the Burlington Canal.

References (see links)

A Traveler's Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses, Penrose, p. 84

Select an image to enlarge

Directions: From the Queen Elizabeth Way, take exit 118 onto Trafalgar Street. Go right (south) on Trafalgar to Lakeshore Road (Highway 2). Turn right (west) on Lakeshore. Immediately after crossing 16 Mile Creek, turn left on Forsythe, and then make an immediate left into the parking lot for Shipyard Park. The 1889 lighthouse is adjacent to the parking lot. The light itself is on the grounds of the Oakville Yacht Squadron, but the light is readily visible from the parking lot and further up the pier. Walk south to the end of the pier to see the current tower.

While the grounds of the Oakville Yacht Club (see links) are private, polite visitors are quite welcome. The club is closed in winter, but the gates are open from April to mid-October. Visitors should request permission to enter from a member or employee. On weekends, visitors can check in with the "Officer of the Day" - look for the pennant at the clubhouse or on one of the boats. (Thanks to Sandra Kennedy of the Oakville Yacht Squadron for providing access information and the plaque text.) (September 2006)