Build a Lighthouse
With Barrie fronting Kempenfelt Bay, making us a coastal town, I believe that it would be beneficial to have a surplus lighthouse (nonfunctional lighthouse), lookout point in Downtown Barrie located in the Centennial Beach- Heritage Park area. This is because lighthouses are prominent tourist destinations that can add significant value to the community economically aesthetically, and historically.
Socially, coastal communities with infrastructure acknowledging and trading off of their nautical roots gain vast social media exposure. Content containing lighthouses get millions of likes, views, comments, shares, tweets, pins, etc each month, worldwide. If our city is shared enough under this category, it could become a “viral” place to visit and live, allowing us to develop into this narrative and become a broad scale destination, such as Martha’s Vineyard, Niagara on-the- Lake, etc. With our Downtown already containing a Waterfront Heritage Trail, two Boat Launches/Marinas, Centennial Beach with it’s new Boardwalk, South Shore Park, historical train station, J.C shipwreck, antique themed street lamps, etc, our city already fits the mould of said social trend.
On top of this, the general development of any new attraction in a major city makes news headlines nationwide, drawing substantial attention and interest to our community, placing us under the spotlight, which provides a window of opportunity for our city council/committees, residents and political leaders to discuss desired matters to a broader audience. This is especially true as all lighthouses are specifically acknowledged on a public database by the Government of Canada. See link.
https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/otw-am/lighthouses-phares/canada-eng.html
For the location, lighthouses are typically built on groynes, which we conveniently have available at the proposed locations, as pictured on the maps below. However, if these locations aren’t suitable for any reason, groynes or a dock can be built off said shorelines with relative ease. Both of which would provide pedestrians with ample access to the attraction.
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Tammy-ann Chapman commented
Amazing idea! We are such a coastal city that takes pride in our beautiful waterfront and multiple beach access, the lighthouse would make a statement, generate tourism and the small fee to tour the lighthouse can be used towards our heritage fund or BIA. We can ask local residents who have relatable historical memorabilia to contribute. For reference see the Lighthouse in Kincardine.
https://visitkincardine.ca/profile/kincardine-lighthouse-museum-giftstore/2127/