NR-MAR-05-28E

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TRANSFERS OWNERSHIP OF HENDRY FARM LIGHTHOUSE TO VILLAGE OF CAMBRIDGE-NARROWS

September 23, 2005

Cambridge-Narrows, N.B. - On behalf of Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Senator Joseph Day today participated in a ceremony marking the official transfer of the Hendry Farm Lighthouse to the Village of Cambridge-Narrows, New Brunswick.

"Today's announcement is an excellent example of how the Government of Canada and local grassroots organizations can work together to secure a bright future for these important structures," said Senator Day. "This ownership transfer gives the community a chance to take advantage of this important piece of our shared history, and to promote new opportunities, like the lighthouse's immense tourism potential."

The Hendry Farm Lighthouse, an 8.2-metre-high wooden tower located on the northern shore of Washademoak Lake, was established in 1875, and has considerable local historical importance to the community. DFO decommissioned the lighthouse from active service in 1995, and has been working with the community to transfer the lighthouse property as part of the Department's Lighthouse Divestiture Program.

New marine technology is changing the role of lighthouses as aids to navigation. Innovations like the Differential Global Positioning System offer today's mariner the kinds of modern efficiencies that lighthouses never could.

DFO is working with interested parties, such as the Village of Cambridge-Narrows, to find new and alternate uses so that lighthouses are preserved for present and future generations.

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