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Port Stanley Breakwater Lighthouse

42.6552° N, 81.2134° W · Ontario · built 1911[1]

  • View from shore
  • Heritage lighthouse (HLPA) 2016
  • Last verified 2026-10

Fl G 5s · 37 ft[1]
As listed in the Canadian Coast Guard List of Lights, 2026 edition

A white reinforced-concrete tower on a broad pyramidal base, the Port Stanley Breakwater Lighthouse stands alone at the end of the west breakwater. Built in 1911 for a harbour that grew on shipping and commercial fishing, it is a federal heritage lighthouse and still shows a green flash.

History

Port Stanley had a harbour by 1832, and by 1844 the first lighthouse was standing on its pier.[2] The Lighthouse Directory counts at least four lights on older breakwaters before the present one.[3] The harbour grew with Lake Erie shipping and with the commercial fishery, which became a major part of the regional economy.[2]

The present lighthouse was built on a new breakwater; Parks Canada's designation dates it to 1911, while the Lighthouse Directory gives 1908.[2,3] It is a pyramidal tower of reinforced concrete, about 10 metres (33 feet) tall, whose wide base tapers smoothly into the upper tower.[2] Parks Canada describes the design as rare and distinctive, used in a few places on the Great Lakes early in the twentieth century, with a heavy base that looks anchored against storms.[2]

It is still a working light. The Canadian Coast Guard's 2026 List of Lights shows a green flash every five seconds from 11.5 metres above the water.[1] Two other lights mark the harbour: one on the east breakwater and a light tower on the pier.[2]

In 2016 the lighthouse was designated a heritage lighthouse under the federal Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act.[4] In July of that year the Municipality of Central Elgin received the deed, together with a grant toward its restoration and upkeep.[3] The breakwater is isolated from shore, so the tower is reached only by boat; from the village waterfront its white shape stands out clearly against the open lake.[3,2]

How to see it

View from shore Best seen from a public park, beach or pier nearby.

Best public viewpoint
From the Port Stanley waterfront by the harbour entrance; the lighthouse stands alone at the end of the west breakwater, which is reachable only by boat.[3]
Tower climbs
No public tower climbs have been offered, as far as our sources show.
Operator
Canadian Coast Guard (light)
Last verified
Last verified 2026-10

Access details last verified 2026-10. Hours, tours and ownership change. Check the operator before you go. Pier and breakwater lights can be dangerous in wind and waves; obey posted closures and never enter private or Coast Guard property.

Questions people ask

Can you walk to the Port Stanley lighthouse?

No. It stands on an isolated breakwater reachable only by boat, and the tower is closed. It is clearly visible from the Port Stanley waterfront.

Is the Port Stanley lighthouse protected?

Yes. It was designated a heritage lighthouse under Canada's Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act in 2016.

Is the light still working?

Yes. The 2026 Canadian List of Lights shows Fl G 5s at 11.5 metres.

Nearby lighthouses

Nearby shipwrecks

Nearby · Sponsored

Run a heritage-tourism business near Port Stanley Breakwater Lighthouse? Sponsor this page: $79/year. Sponsor this page

Sources

  1. List of Lights, Buoys and Fog Signals - Inland Waters, 2026 edition (Lake Erie pages), Canadian Coast Guard (Notices to Mariners). Accessed .
  2. HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca, Canada's Historic Places (Canadian Register of Historic Places). Accessed .
  3. Lighthouses of Canada: Southwestern Ontario, Russ Rowlett, The Lighthouse Directory (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Accessed .
  4. Heritage lighthouses in Canada (designated heritage lighthouses), Parks Canada. Accessed .
  5. Wikidata Q45324470: Port Stanley Breakwater Lighthouse, Wikidata. Accessed .

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