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| - I've spoken and written enough about this place over the years. Might as well talk about it on Yelp too.
This place holds very special significance to me. Yes, it's the signature lighthouse of Port Credit, and yes, there's a long history behind it, full of intrigue (it burned down), hope (it got rebuilt years later) and activity (it was a hub for media events).
Yet, when I think about the P.C. Lighthouse, I flash back to June 30, 2006. I was 18 years old and I had literally finished my final day of high school at Port Credit Secondary. I had secured a co-op placement with the Mississauga News to pick up some extra credits and experience, and was invited down to the Lighthouse for a media launch by the woman who eventually became my boss for the next three years, Anita Albanese. I stepped out of a classroom and into a completely different world.
I will never forget going to that event and taking everything in. The sights, the sounds, the people. How beautiful the lighthouse looked, the village at dusk, the sheer number of people who packed into the deck around the central structure, and all the local business owners and associates I met that night. That event formed the basis for my network of contacts, many of whom I'm still friends with to this day.
There's a lot of history and prestige in the lighthouse, which stands tall overlooking the mouth of the Credit River. From humble beginnings as a lone lantern hanging on a pole to its reinvention in 1991 by the Lions Club, it's come a long way over the years. (PROTIP: Ask local realtor John Cassan to tell you all about his involvement and current job with the lighthouse. Also ask him about the effort it takes to replace the light in the central lantern. You might be surprised by what he tells you.)
Unfortunately, the lighthouse is vacant at the moment, as the Port Credit Business Improvement Association (which oversees promotions in the village) moved their offices down the street to Clarke Hall. It's my hope that another tenant or someone that is contributing positively to P.C.'s development will take the space, because it's sitting empty at the moment.
Regardless, the P.C. Lighthouse is a beautiful monument overlooking the lake. Make a pit stop by if you're in the area and get a picture of yourself standing by it.
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