Islanders halt sale of keeper's house at Swallowtail Light

A well-publicized meeting was held at the Grand Manan Community School on April 3, with about 100 people assembled to come up with ideas on how to save the Swallowtail Lighthouse keeper's house from being sold by the Grand Manan Village Council.

Theresa MacFarland of the Grand Manan Tourism Association and Laurie Murison of the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station had gathered an impressive alliance of people who have faced similar situations dealing with unique properties on the mainland. Visitors Maria Buzeta and Mike Strong of the Green's Point Light Project, Art MacKay from the St. Croix Estuary Project and the Gathering Place/Camp Waweig Project, Bill Hicks, manager of the Historic Places Unit, and Wayne Burly, director of the Heritage Branch of the New Brunswick Department of Wellness, Culture and Sports, spoke to the audience. Each offered suggestions as well as insight into what steps the Swallowtail project would need to take to get started.

About a dozen citizens spoke, offering alternate ideas, funding and personal testimony on the importance of Swallowtail Light as a community treasure. The meeting ended with the gathering of names of people volunteering to be part of a steering committee for the project. The audience, to begin the legal proceedings for setting up the Swallowtail reclamation, donated approximately $200.

Mayor Dennis Green, who was in attendance, admitted the Grand Manan council had misread the islanders' feelings on selling Swallowtail. He said he would be looking forward to what actions the Swallowtail restoration group would be presenting to council. He also informed the audience that the sale of Swallowtail was already on the agenda to be reopened for discussion at the next council meeting slated to be held the following Monday.

No time was wasted as the provisional committee readied their presentation for the town council meeting. The committee decided to find an umbrella nonprofit group to sponsor them until they get their own nonprofit designation. This would allow for any donated money not to be taxed.

The idea to save the light keeper's house has been expanded to a project to save the light station, as the lighthouse itself is expected to be deemed obsolete soon. A series of weekend picnic projects is being planned to help pave the way for larger restoration projects. A fund is being started that will seek matched funds from the federal built heritage program. Guidelines for proposals and business opportunities for the property are being developed to help people who have an interest in working on the Swallowtail property under a nonprofit agreement.

With the many initiatives in place, the Swallowtail Restoration Committee felt ready to present their plan to the council. There was a sigh of united relief at the April 7 Grand Manan council meeting when the council rescinded the motion to sell the light keeper's house. A motion was passed to give the volunteers time to set up a proper nonprofit organization to care for Swallowtail Lighthouse.