Archive Record

Metadata

Item ID#

A2020.061.004

Title

We were here : stories of the Chantry Island lighthouse

Object Name

Recording, Video

Dates of Creation

2002

Creator

Landry, Bonnie Kirkland

Other Creators

Northern Spry Productions
White, Paul

Description

This documentary video shares the history of the Chantry Island Lighthouse located off the shores of Southampton, Ontario. The video documents the creation of the lighthouse, past lightkeepers and their descendants, and the Chantry Island Restoration Project. Also references the settlement of towns along the southern shores of Lake Huron, shipping activity, and early shipwrecks.

The documentary uses original songs (by Mike Goodwin, John Eagleson and Lorne Brown), and features interviews of lightkeeper descendants and restoration project leaders (Ron Beaupre, Mike Sterling, Lorne Brown, Jean Brown, Virginia Greathead, Shirley Helwig, Bob Trelford). Acting in historical roles are David Leslie (Captain Lambert), Richard Prazmowski (Robert Wightman) and John Eagleson (Mariner).

00:08 On a rocky shore, a fisherman (Captain Duncan McGregor Lambert, played by David Leslie), with his nets and seagulls, speaks with Scottish accent of the Chantry Island lighthouse as a beacon of hope.
00:38 Close-up of captain (Leslie). The island is his home. He protected the mariners and remembers the tragedies.
02:08 Guitarist Mike Goodwin sings his song "We Were Here" at Southampton Beach with the island in the background.
02:34 [title] "We Were Here".
02:50 In voiceover, Leslie tells the story of the Queen's Bush, land sales, settlers, with images of ploughing, steam tractor, schooner, steam vessels.
03:35 [title] "Ron Beaupre, Great Lakes Marine Historian". He speaks of the hard work of the sailor.
03:55 Voiceover by Leslie. Map of the Lake Huron east shore. Saugeen had a natural harbour. Images of Saugeen docks, street scenes, swimming at the beach. Saugeen re-named Southampton.
04:13 Voiceover by Ron Beaupre. Shipping brought merchandise to the stores; export of crops. Images of streetscape, store interiors, brickworks.
04:36 Voiceover by Leslie. Shipping increased, and shipwrecks multiplied. 1855, six lighthouses were planned. Images of passenger steamboats, shipwreck off the beach.
05:28 Leslie by the rocky shore. Chantry Island lighthouse built of local dolomite limestone.
06:04 [title] "Mike Sterling, Chantry Island Restoration Project". Seated in the lightkeeper's cottage, Sterling speaks of the stonemason John Brown, dimensions of the lighthouse. Image of the lighthouse and cottage.
06:38 Leslie: lighthouse finished in 1858.
06:50 Sterling: Fresnel lenses were made in France. Light visible 20-25 miles. Images of lenses rotating.
07:52 Leslie: 1858, got the job as lighthouse keeper.
08:32 John Eagleson performs "Captain Lambert" atop the lighthouse.
09:00 Beaupre: heyday of shipping on the Great Lakes. Images of schooners, steam-boats. Waves overpower boats.
10:16 Beaupre on screen. Crews in storms drowned trying to reach shore.
10:41 Leslie: need for a Harbour of Refuge; Southampton was chosen.
11:08 Beaupre: timber cribs 30 feet square, towed out and filled with rock to build the Long Dock. Images of the Long Dock.
12:14 Leslie: Harbour of Refuge completed by 1877, for $300,000. Family enjoyed life on the island; brought over a cow.
12:58 [title] "Lorne Brown, Family Historian". Pasture made for cow, brought across the ice in spring. Pasture for Daisy only, no other cow.
14:37 John Eagleson sings about Daisy.
14:52 [title] "Jean Brown, Lambert Family Descendant". Captain McGregor was the patriarch of the family.
15:08 Leslie, atop the lighthouse: The Captain's children grew up on the water.
15:44 Brown: son William drowned in storm rescue. Captain McGregor quit his position.
16:17 Leslie: 1880, captain retired. 1883, he died.
16:45 Brown: son William took over, the second lighthouse keeper. Many shipwrecks around the island; Lambert Shoals. William rescued many people.
19:15 Leslie. Chantry Island popular with visitors. Images of couple, lighthouse, schoon-ers.
20:04 Leslie: 1892, Nettie Woodward sinking.
20:22 Lorne Brown sings "Ballad of the Nettie Woodward".
20:36 Beaupre: mariners feared for their lives, climbed the rigging. One drowned.
21:50 [title] "Virginia Greathead, Southampton Resident". Greathead speaks of the Nettie Woodward survivor arrived at the beach, died of exposure. His son was born four months later, her father.
22:46 Lorne Brown sings.
23:24 Leslie: for heroism, Imperial Service medal and gold watch to son William.
23:48 Beaupre: Duncan and William Lambert could sense when people were in trouble.
23:58 Leslie: William raised a family on the island.
24:16 Lorne Brown: Southampton as a big port. Images of port. Sailors traded news with William. 1896 diary of Robert Wightman; three cyclists from Toronto to Chantry Island.
25:40 Richard Prazmowski, playing Robert Wightman: sailed to Chantry Island.
26:19 Lorne Brown: romance between Jim [Bache] and Ellen, daughter of William Lambert.
26:49 Jean Brown: courting of her grandparents. Image, daughter and grandfather.
27:09 Lorne Brown: Mrs. Lambert and daughters would climb the stairs to light the lamp. William had to light the range lamp at the end of the Island Dock. Video: camera climbs the lighthouse stairs. Aerial photo of the island docks.
27:55 Lorne Brown: of the three cyclists, two married the daughters of keepers; Wightman married the sister (photo) of Jim Bache, who married Ellen Lambert. The Bache's had four children, christened on Chantry Island. Photos on the island. Cradle from the island.
30:00 Jean Brown: takes grandson to the island.
30:34 Lorne Brown: roots important to build a life.
31:20 Lorne Brown: first visit, 1985; saddened to see dereliction.
31:39 [title] "Shirley Helwig, Southampton Resident": her father (photo) was lighthouse keeper, 1987. House roof was gone; lighthouse door broken.
32:30 Lorne Brown: "our lighthouse"; 1985, talk of fixing up the lighthouse. No dock; keeper's house, slate roof gone, windows broken, no floors; we took photos.
34:43 [title] "Bob Trelford, Chantry Island Restoration Project". "Five or six years ago the town hired David Douglas of the University of Guelph." Meetings held in Southampton. Decided to use island and lighthouse in tourist advertising.
35:50 Mike Sterling: Propeller Club and Marine Heritage Society took over the Chantry Island restoration.
35:58 Lorne Brown: symbolic meaning of lighthouses as beacon to mariners.
37:21 Mike Sterling: at the start of the project, consultation with an architect (photo) produced a restoration cost of $800,000 to $1 million.
37:58 Bob Trelford: the floors and roof were in the basement (photos). Removed 50 tons over a year and a half. Big stone in basement (photo) was used to keep food cool.
39:31 Helwig: used that basement rock as her ice box; jumped on and off a boat in a storm, to get milk.
40:35 Bob Trelford: on our farm are 200-year-old hemlock trees; cut the timbers out of his bush (photos). Planking and roof done (photos). Six or seven people worked on the timber restoration.
42:33 Mike Sterling in boat cabin. We towed a barge to the island (photo of six people).
43:14 Trelford: when stone mason finished his work we added the flooring.
43:42 Donated generator used for power.
44:00 Stone was dolomite, hauled by boat and raft.
44:53 Sterling: we did the first environmental cleanup, starting "three years ago"; 22,000 hours; 250 volunteers, 350 donors. Removed plastic, batteries from the lighthouse.
45:47 Lorne Brown: volunteers deeply involved, worked, raised money. Video: gardening, restoration work on cottage, cottage and lighthouse from boat, furniture placed in cottage. Everything is clean and landscaped.
46:49 Trelford: lighthouse allowed boats to enter Southampton harbour. Video: workers on the island; gardeners; dock-builders.
47:42 Sterling: volunteers. Example of 70-year-old woman [Jane Kramer] assembling furniture for cottage. Spirit of the volunteer.
49:08 Trelford: we leave something for future generations.
49:20 Sterling: we want to leave something discernible for our children.
49:47 Jean Brown: restoration was amazing. Video: visitors at dock, at cottage.
50:28 Lorne Brown: when we were there [years ago] I didn't sense the Lamberts there, and now I do. Video: recreation of mariners about the fireplace.
51:13 Leslie: our spirits are re-awakened; our home is back to life.
51:55 Audio over the titles: song "We Were Here" by Mike Goodwin.
51:55 [titles] "Thanks to Mike Goodwin, Mike Sterling, John Weichel for entrusting me with this story". "Special Appreciation to Bruce County Museum & Archives". "Photos courtesy of Archives of Ontario, National Archives of Canada, Ron Beaupre, Lorne & Jean Brown, Scougall Collection, Bruce County Museum & Archives, Bob Trelford".
52:15 "Maps & Historical Papers Courtesy of Archives of Ontario, Canadian Institute for Historical Reproduction, National Archives of Canada, National Library of Canada". "Additional Research and Materials Courtesy of The Light on Chantry Island by Mary Weeks-Mifflin & Ray Mifflin, the Boston Mills Press."
52:25 "Original Fresnel lens visuals were possible through the kind co-operation of Ron Walker & Morley MacDonald, Canadian Coast Guard and Keith Chegahno, Cape Croker Land Management."
52:32 "Special Thanks: Ron Beaupre, Lorne & Jean Brown, John Eagleson, Virginia Greathead, Kim & Rowan Hall, Shirley Helwig, Mike Sterling, Bob Trelford."
52:39 "Special Thanks to Barb and Rob Taylor, Solomon Knechtel House for the use of their beautiful historic home."
52:42 "Thanks to Cottage Life Television for sharing footage." "Fish netting supplied by Inland Sea Products, Southampton. Wardrobe, Bonnie Holloway."
52:49 "Studio Location Supplied by Rogers Television, Owen Sound." "M.S. Chi-CheeMaun Location Supplied by The Owen Sound Transportation Company Limited."
52:54 "Captain Lambert played by David Leslie. Robert Wightman played by Richard Prazmowski. Mariner played by John Eagleson." "We Were Here" written & performed by Mike Goodwin. "Captain Lambert" written & performed by John Eagleson.
"Ballad of the Nettie Woodward" written & performed by Lorne Brown."
53:04 "Written by Bonnie Kirkland Landry, Paul White." "A very special thanks to Michel, Kirkland & Emilie for sharing their time and support." "Thanks to my family & friends and to my parents for their encouragement."
53:17 "Produced by Bonnie Kirkland Landry."
53:21 "A very special acknowledgement to hard working members of the Propellor Club, Marine Heritage Society, & a host of volunteer individuals & groups for bringing the spirit back to Chantry Island."
53:28 "May the souls never be forgotten & live eternal on Chantry Island."
53:39 "Northern Spy Productions."
53:47 Fade-out.
53:51 End.

Provenance

Item was passed through the Byers and Knox families and donated to the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in 2020.

Collection

Marine Heritage Society fonds

Parent Object

MHS fonds

Level of Description

Item

Physical Description

1 videocassette (53 min., 40 sec.) : sd., col. ; 13 mm (VHS)
[Videocassette was digitized in December 2020:
1 video recording ; mov (24.77 GB)
1 video recording ; mp4 (4.85 GB)]

Restrictions on Use

Places

Chantry Island
Lake Huron
Southampton

People

Beaupre, Ron
Brown, Jean
Brown, Lorne
Greathead, Virginia
Helwig, Shirley
Lambert, Duncan McGregor
Lambert, William McGregor
Sterling, Mike
Trelford, Bob
Wightman, Robert

Search Terms & Subjects

Historic buildings
Lighthouse keepers
Lighthouses
Marine
Marine accidents
Shipwrecks

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