Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse

Comprehensive Restoration

Recipient: 2024 Crafts and Trades in Built Heritage Award

Property Owner: City of Toronto

Project Date of Completion: December 28, 2023

Clifford Restoration Limited was contracted by the city of Toronto to restore several elements of The Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse, also known as the Fleet Street Lighthouse or affectionately known as ‘Little Red’. The historic wood structure underwent a comprehensive restoration to preserve its historic integrity and enhance its structural condition. This restoration involved repainting and restoring almost all exterior elements. The project also included replacing the cedar shingles on the low roof and the lantern’s “neck,” installing new LCC drip flashing, replacing the stone steps at the entrance, and adding an improved drainage strip around the building. Additional efforts included restoring and repainting the lantern, catwalk, and cupola, cleaning and polishing the glass panels, and servicing the weathervane rod. Limited electrical work, including reinstating power and installing new lighting and wiring, was also part of the project. This meticulous restoration effort ensured the preservation of this significant 19th-century lighthouse, an important part of Toronto’s heritage.

The Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse is one of two surviving 19th century lighthouses in Toronto, the other being the Gibraltar point lighthouse. Originally designed by Kivas Tully, it was constructed in 1861 at the bottom of Bathurst Street. It was then decommissioned in 1912 and relocated to its current location in 1929. It was officially listed in the Toronto Heritage Register on June 20, 1973. This project positively impacts the local community by restoring a historically significant piece of Toronto’s maritime heritage. The restoration of the Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse successfully complied with the standards and guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada by adhering to key principles such as respect for the historic value and character-defining elements, using appropriate materials and techniques for restoration, and ensuring any interventions were reversible where possible. It emphasized minimal intervention and the preservation of the site’s heritage while accommodating necessary updates, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the historic place were maintained.