Bill C-588

2nd Session, 41st Parliament,

62-63 Elizabeth II, 2013-2014

house of commons of canada

BILL C-588

An Act to amend the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act (Sambro Island Lighthouse)

Whereas the Sambro Island Lighthouse was built during the Seven Years’ War and established by the very first act passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly on October 2, 1758, and is the oldest standing and operating lighthouse in the Americas;

Whereas the Sambro Island Lighthouse is one of the most historically important lighthouses in Canada due to its age and its association with Halifax Harbour’s marine traffic for over 235 years;

Whereas the Sambro Island Lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation, with an operating beacon light;

Whereas the construction of the Sambro Island Lighthouse was commemorated as a National Historic Event in 1937, marked by a plaque and cairn mounted beside the United Church in nearby Sambro Harbour;

Whereas the Sambro Island Lighthouse was recognized as a federal heritage building in 1996;

Whereas a $20 silver coin featuring the Sambro Island Lighthouse was issued in 2004 by the Royal Canadian Mint;

Whereas the Canada Post Corporation issued a stamp honouring the Sambro Island Lighthouse in December 2007;

Whereas the Sambro Island Lighthouse is under the custody of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which, pursuant to the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, has declared the Sambro Island Lighthouse to be surplus to its operational requirements;

And whereas Canada should protect the Sambro Island Lighthouse which is the oldest surviving lighthouse in North America and whose construction is a National Historic Event of Canada;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. The Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act is amended by adding the following after the heading “DESIGNATION OF HERITAGE LIGHTHOUSES” before section 6: