A 151-year-old N.S. lighthouse has been moved away from a vanishing shoreline

As erosion threatens the East Hants coastline, the Walton Lighthouse has been moved away from the cliff where it was built in 1873.

It is the only surviving lighthouse in Hants County. It was used to help ships move through the upper Bay of Fundy to Walton.

A 2022 study on coastal erosion along the Fundy shoreline found erosion rates in the Walton area of about half a metre per year.

John Ogilvie, vice-president of the Walton Area Development Association, said the lighthouse issue has long been on the community's mind. But concerns grew in recent years, so the municipality budgeted $100,000 to move it. 

"We keep a close eye on the shoreline all the time being a coastal community," he said. "We really significantly paid more attention to it and noticed that the rate of erosion was at a place where we need to start moving it back."

Ogilvie said the new location is more than 45 metres from the original site. He said that means the lighthouse shouldn't need to be moved again for years.

He said he is glad the move last week went well. He said the place is important to the community.

"The Walton harbour in the mid-1900s was the second busiest port in Nova Scotia, second only to Halifax," he said. "The lighthouse was an important beacon to ensure those ships came in and out safely through the harbour."

He said the lighthouse remained operational until the late 1970s. When it was decommissioned, two men in the community — Ted Burgess and Reggie Clarke — advocated for it to be preserved, Ogilvie said. 

'Taking coastal risks seriously'

Timothy Webster, a research scientist with Nova Scotia Community College and the author of the coastal erosion study, said he expects more buildings will have to be moved due to erosion. 

He said that because of climate change, storms and hurricanes may become a larger issue for coastal communities.

"Hurricane Fiona was a real wake-up call for us in Nova Scotia.… If that's a sign of what's to come in the future, then we really need to start taking climate change and these coastal risks seriously," said Webster.