Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior

06/15/2026

It was another productive and enjoyable day with 20 volunteers who came out for this year's Trowbridge Island Lighthouse clean up event. We raked leaves, trimmed back branches and woody debris from the trails, and did a major clean-up of the fog alarm building, finding all sorts of interesting treasures in the process! Many thanks to this crew of hard-working helpers!

06/11/2026

Throwback to June 11, 1873 when people could still write in cursive script and this memo was issued:

"On the recommendation of the Hon[orable] the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, the committee advise that Mr. Donald Ross of Toronto, aged __ years, be appointed keeper of the Light house recently erected at Point Porphyry, Lake Superior at a salary of $400 per annum such appointment to date from the day the Light is put in operation."

Donald Ross served as the first light keeper at Porphyry Island Light Station from 1873-1880

Document retrieved from Library and Archives Canada https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=ordincou&IdNumber=8336&q_type_1=q&q_1=porphyry&ecopy=e002238788

06/09/2026

What a transition! A big clean up job in the boathouse at Porphyry Island this weekend. A huge shout out to all the volunteers who helped Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior get ready for the upcoming lighthouse tourism season!

Video sound credit: Crowd Wow Sound Effect 1.wav by AudioSea

06/09/2026

This weekend 33 volunteers did a tremendous job preparing Porphyry Island for the 2026 summer season. The crew cleaned out the boat house, sanitized the lightkeepers' houses from top to bottom, organized the tool shed, put up the bell tents, checked and tuned up the bicycles, tidied the mini-museum and art gallery, planted the garden, assembled a new composter, measured windows and screens for repair, swept out the sauna, and cleared the trail from the docks to the point!

We are so thankful for all this help!

This event was made possible in part from a grant from the Trans Canada Trail.

06/04/2026

On Thursday, July 9 (11:00 am to 3:30 pm) Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior's Artist in Residence, Lee Angold, will offer a nature journalling workshop on Porphyry Island! Lee will lead you through an immersive opportunity to explore and capture the colours, textures, and shapes of nature. Your workshop includes a kit with high quality watercolour paints, an assortment of watercolour paper, pigment pen and brushes.

Cost: $195 per person, includes charter boat ride from Silver Islet, site entry fee, workshop instruction, supplies, some time to explore the island and, of course, some delicious baking!

To register, visit: https://clls.ca/boathouse-folk-school-creative-workshops

(Participants not needing the charter can enter the coupon code BOATER-2026 for a $85 discount).

06/02/2026

Pages 76 & 77 of this month’s Walleye Magazine feature some of the lighthouses we have been working hard to preserve and present for more than a decade!

If you're into tattoos, there are some interesting articles in there too! And if you're into lighthouse tattoos, well, you're our new best friend.

Though tattoos shifted from counterculture to mainstream in the late 90s, the history of tattooing is hardly skin deep. The oldest known tattoos date back thousands of years and since then, tattooing has evolved and expanded to become its own artform. This issue of The Walleye explores all things in...

06/02/2026

Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior is committed to creating spaces where everyone feels seen, supported, and safe to be their authentic selves.
Wishing everyone a Happy Pride Month!

05/30/2026

Thank you for the feature Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association!

The beautiful jewel that is Trowbridge Island Light Station, Ontario, Canada on Lake Superior. Trowbridge Island Light rests on the apex of this small island and serves as a guide to mariners headed from the east for the major commercial Port of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The tower retains its original 3rd order Fresnel lens although it is no longer used. A modern optic mounted on the railing nearby serves the purpose. Trowbridge Island Light is now cared for the non-profit group Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior (CLLS) and they offer limited tours during the summer season. - Photo courtesy of the Canadian Lights of Lake Superior (www.clls.ca)