A welcome beacon for sailors and, in more recent years, a magnet for tourists to western P.E.I., the iconic West Point lighthouse is in need of a little help.
For nearly 145 years, the 67-foot-tall structure with its distinctive black and white bands has been an important marine and cultural landmark in this coastal community.
But a close brush with the remnants of Hurricane Dorian last week has left many concerned about its future.
Like hundreds of others, I drove to West Point the day after Dorian howled across the Island to see first-hand how the light had fared. It’s located near Cedar Dunes provincial park where, as a youngster many years ago, I spent large chunks of every summer.
Global warming, if it was even a term in those days, would have meant a hot, sunny day perfect for frolicking at the campground, beach and playground in the shadow of the hulking lighthouse.
Climate change would have simply meant that summer would turn into fall and, all too soon, winter would arrive. Nothing more sinister than that.
Today, of course, the reality is very different. Everyone has heard about global warming, the scientific consensus that the planet is warming at an unprecedented rate due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
As water temperatures and sea levels rise, erosion along coastal communities intensifies.
Cedar Dunes park has certainly been impacted. Were the playground equipment I used as a child not moved further inland years ago, it would surely all be under water today.
Natural erosion claims some of the shoreline each year but there’s little doubt that global warming is greatly speeding up that process.
As we drove into the park the day after Dorian abated, water was still receding from the flooded campground but, thanks to a protective seawall, the lighthouse had been spared.
However, given the certainty that intense storms associated with global warming will continue to pound the Island coastline, that seawall will have to be fortified and/or extended.
At some point, the lighthouse may even have to be moved further inland to protect it from the pounding seas.
Preserving the lighthouse is essential, not only to guide seafarers but also to maintain a key economic driver for the area.
It includes a museum and a four-star lighthouse inn with 13 rooms, as well as a unique opportunity to spend a night in the lighthouse itself.
In a small community like West Point, it’s every bit as important as Green Gables is to Cavendish, or Confederation Centre is to Charlottetown.
Securing the future of the lighthouse will be costly and, no doubt, will require support from both levels of government. With a federal election now less than five weeks away, it’s a good chance to ask each candidate who comes to your door how they intend to deal with global warming in general, and specifically about its impact locally.
When the world’s leading scientists agree we have less than 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, we should be alarmed enough to ask questions and weigh who has the best answers before we vote.
In the case of the West Point lighthouse, where the danger is literally at its doorstep, there’s no time to waste.
Wayne Young is a freelance writer living in Summerside.
