It seems the iconic lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove has some new champions.
The latest group of lighthouse supporters are not your typical Peggy’s Cove activists. They don’t live anywhere near the lighthouse and in fact, most have probably never seen it in person.
These activists are eight years old and they live in Calgary, but despite their distance from the iconic site, they want to ensure the lighthouse stays standing and in good condition.
“I’m so glad they’re teaching that in school, that they’re aware of it,” says Nova Scotia resident Vivian Morin. “I think it’s fantastic.”
The students have been learning about Peggy’s Cove in their social studies class. When they discovered that the lighthouse was in jeopardy, they wanted to send the money in their piggy banks and one child was even moved to tears.
So, to do their part to help save the beacon of light, the children started a campaign and sent letters to CTV News.
“It is important because lighthouses are symbols of the past and of our ancestors,” writes eight-year-old Dawson.
Here at home, Michael Kelly agrees. He grew up in Nova Scotia and wants his daughter to experience Peggy’s Cove at its best.
“I’m a professional painter, so I thought if anyone else wanted to jump on board, I’d be totally willing to donate my time if there was anyone else out there that wanted to donate the paint and the scaffolding to get the job done,” says Kelly.
John Campbell owns the restaurant at Peggy’s Cove. He says there’s no shortage of people willing to help.
The problem is that the lighthouse is owned by the federal government. The province is trying to acquire it, but until that happens, there’s a lot of red tape.
“It’s an international icon and we can’t get a simple paint job from the federal government. It’s crazy,” says Campbell.
“If you destroyed this lighthouse, all of the great memories will be gone,” says eight-year-old Brandon is his letter. “The stories of this lighthouse will disappear.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell
