HISTORY OF
THE LIGHTHOUSE
The Terrace Bay lighthouse is a replica of the lighthouse on the Slate Islands Provincial Park, which is a group of islands south of Terrace Bay that are home to the largest concentration of woodland caribou in the world. The lighthouse on the Slate Islands is the highest elevated lighthouse on the Great Lakes, at 224 ft. above sea level, and is the sister to the Otter Island Lighthouse. The Terrace Bay lighthouse was built in 2011 as a symbol of the community’s connection with the Slate Islands and the caribou. The lighthouse stands as a 50 ft. tall structure in the heart of downtown Terrace Bay, overlooking the lake and the islands. Visitors can climb up the stairs and enjoy a panoramic view of the scenery.
The lighthouse also features a Group of Seven interpretive installation, which depicts the paintings of A.Y. Jackson of the Slate Islands. The Group of Seven was a group of Canadian landscape painters who initiated the first major Canadian national art movement in the 1920s and 1930s. They were inspired by the natural beauty and history of the Canadian landscape, especially Lake Superior and its surroundings. The interpretive installation invites visitors to sit and look over the site that inspired this incredible work of art. The Terrace Bay lighthouse is a unique attraction that showcases the history and heritage of Terrace Bay and the Slate Islands, as well as the artistic legacy of the Group of Seven.