After 2 years closed, work begins to reopen Tip Tower at Point Pelee

Work will soon begin to repair a guard rail issue the Tip Tower at Point Pelee National Park, Parks Canada announced Wednesday.

Work by Heritage Restoration will begin this month and the tower will be re-opened "as soon as it is safe to do so," the agency said in a press release.

Parks Canada says updates about the construction will be posted on the Parks Canada website and the tip will remain open for visitors as the work is ongoing.

"Parks Canada recognizes that access to the 360-degree vistas from the Tip Tower in Point Pelee National Park is important to our visitors and we look forward to resuming this unique experience when the tower is certified to be safe for use," Parks Canada said.

Parks Canada says some work will be completed off site to minimize the impact to visitors "and work onsite will be carefully scheduled to avoid major disruptions to visitors and wildlife."

"Parks Canada thanks the local community and visitors to the park for their ongoing patience."

While work is ongoing visitors are asked to adhere construction signs.

The tower was closed in May 2022 for an issue with the guard rail. Since then, Parks Canada says an engineering assessment was completed, confirming the tower is structurally sound and the issue was isolated to the guard rail system.

The tower first opened in 2019 to give a bird's eye view of the park.

When the tower was closed, residents saidthey were frustrated there was no timeline for the tower's reopening. In November, Parks Canada said it was hopeful the tower would be open for the Festival of Birds at Point Pelee in May 2024.