Efforts are underway to save the Stokes Bay Lighthouse.
Bruce County Tourism Manager Chris Hughes will make a presentation to county council on Thursday asking them to support a rescue project.
Hughes received word at the end of August that the Coast Guard is planning to replace the Stokes Bay Lighthouse.
He says staff quickly realized something should be done to preserve the original structure.
Hughes says removal options are limited because of the lighthouse’s remote location along the Lake Huron Shoreline in the Black Creek Provincial Park.
The Coast Guard was planning to dismantle the lighthouse and ship the pieces away by barge.
Hughes says in order to keep the top section of the structure intact, he wants it airlifted out by helicopter.
The closest available chopper with enough lift capacity for the job is in Sudbury, and contracting it will cost between 15 and 20-thousand dollars.
Hughes says the price tag is worth it because lighthouses and marine heritage are huge draws for the tourism sector in Bruce County.
He believes the Stokes Bay Lighthouse could be the centrepiece of the Bruce Coast Marine Gallery at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Southampton.
Hughes says the 1903 lighthouse was built on stilts, which protected it from rotting and moisture and left it in remarkable condition.
He hopes to eventually rebuild a bottom section for the lighthouse and remount at the museum.
The Coast Guard plans on beginning the replacement project on Monday so Hughes says they need a financial commitment from the county on Thursday.