Panmure Island Lighthouse gets make-over as community takes over

The red and white paint on the Panmure Island Lighthouse glistens in the summer sunshine as visitors and locals stop by to check out the lighthouse's fresh new look.

"Just amazing," addedGallant. "It's been a lot of work but just looking at it now makes it all worth while."

The new look for the lighthouse has been in the works for more than four years, when the federal government decommissioned 40 P.E.I. lighthouses.

Ownership of the Panmure light was officially transferred in December 2015.

"For us it has been just such a labour of love," said Gallant.

The painting of the lighthouse alone cost between $20,000 -$25,000."The painters were very entertaining and the visitors really loved seeing them," said Jackie Brown, volunteer and manager of the gift shop.

"It gave them a really unique experience not just seeing a lighthouse and the oldest wooden lighthouse on P.E.I., but actually seeing what it takes to maintain a lighthouse," added Brown.

The main floor, that used to house the lighthouse's generator, had to be ripped apart to remove asbestos and reveal the wooden timbers behindthe walls.

"It was a pretty substantial effort because as you can see there's been a lot of work done other than the painting of the lighthouse," said Roger Gallant, another member of the lighthouse association.

"We had to do the fences, we re-did the parking lot, there's been a huge amount of work done on the ground floor of the lighthouse itself so many people have been involved," added Gallant.

The main floor of the lighthouse has been turned into a gift shop. The association also charges admission, there is aused "beach book" sale, as well asmemberships, including a $100 lifetime membership.

"This is a heritage property, it's been here since 1853," explained Gallant."It means a lot to people around here, these were fishing communities around here in the past and it's still an operating lighthouse so it was rather important for everyone to try to save it and I'm glad we managed to do it."

For Jackie Brown, the renovations to the lighthouse marka new era.

"To be part of restoring it has been a real honour," she said. "It's amazing what a few people can do."