This is a copy of the Chantry Island Newsletter mailed to donors.  If you are interested in the pictures, follow the links.

Fund Raising: We estimated that we would require about $60,000 for the 1999 operations due to the heavy cost of the stone for restoring the Keeper’s Quarters. We raised a total to date of over $67,000. Well over 100 people donated with contributions ranging from $20 to over $11,000. We have used no tax payers funds.. The majority of our cost went into the following categories: Stone mason’s labour, purchased dolomite stone and small costs for boat fuel and supplies. We also ran a very successful Community Fish Fry feeding over 700 townspeople and tourists. Near the end of the summer, we held the 2^nd annual Chantry Island Golf Tourney at Saugeen Golf Club.

Expenses by Category:  The following table shows how we spent money from 1997 until 1999 exclusive of expenses for the Fish Fry and Golf Tourneys.

Donated Expert Help and Resources: We have had plenty of donated help in very important areas from local business people and residents. The Trelford family donated 31 Hemlock trees for the lumber. Special thanks are due to Doug Huber for the use of his Little Snick Fishing Tug when our boat the Peerless was disabled in a heavy storm. Doug Welsh performed many needed tasks from hauling raw timber out of Treford’s Bush after we had felled it to moving it to the Southampton docks after it had been milled into board feet. Willy LeBlance assisted us in many ways. His heavy barge, equipment and Fish Tug were used to transport the huge stones to the Island initially. Willy let us use his large "Tillbury" working boat late in the season also. Bill Jackson’s behind the scene help in fund raising was appreciated. Gilles Roy did many tasks to make our life easier. Tom Shillinglaw was always there when we needed his skill with our boat Peerless. Tim Trelford did a wonderful job supervising the framing of the building. Nancy Calder, Fran Sanagan, Carol Norris, Malcolm Kennedy and others made many trips making a wonderful photographic record.. Thanks also to Bill Neish for his architectural drawings that assisted us in our reconstruction. John Rigby did wonderful work with community relations this year for the project. Thanks to all these men and women for their expert help

• The Wood Cutting: We required wood that was not available commercially. The floor joists were full 3" timbers with some as long as 24 feet and many a full 12" in depth. The flooring material was 1.5" thickness and the roof being husky 1.25" thick planking. To achieve our lumber requirements we cut down 31 giant Hemlock Trees in Bob and John Trelford’s Bush. We then proceeded to mill these huge logs some as old as 220 years into the required board feet with the help of Ron Williamson and a portable mill.

• The Restoration of the Peerless: The Town of Southampton once had a water rescue boat that had not been used for years. Graciously, they donated this fine vessel for the restoration. Many volunteers jumped in and spent over 500 hours restoring the boat for service. It was by far the most used boat in Southampton this past summer.

• The Cleanup: The site around the Lighthouse was in an advanced state of decay. Almost the entire east wall of the Keeper’s Quarters had fallen into the basement and all the floors, slate and much stone debris had to be removed before work could begin in earnest. This was all accomplished with volunteer effort. We also built a tidy work shed on the Island.

• The Restoration of the Building: Our goal for this year was to have all the walls and the gable ends of the structure stabilized. We wanted a strong roof on as proof against the coming winter. In addition, we wanted the interior floors, rooms and loft complete structurally. This required a tremendous amount of dedication by many people. After the initial tonnage of timber and stone was taken to the Island, it was a daily task to keep the workers supplied. The supply boats and makeshift raft handled almost 2000 lbs. per day in a constant stream from Southampton Harbour to Chantry Island. Not only was this work difficult, but it was dangerous due to the changing weather and the bulk of the loads required.

• The Stonemason’s Work: Bill Robinson from Tara handled all the stone work with expertise matching the original mason John Brown. The Keeper’s Quarters and the Lighthouse won two international awards one in Paris and the other in London for Mr. Brown’s work. One hundred and forty years later, the structure is alive again. Bill and his assistants were proud to work on this historic structure. Moving and placing stones that weigh as much as 700 lbs. is not easy. They will be back next year to finish miscellaneous items and restore the historic fireplace.

" We Were Here". We left this historic place better than we found it.

John McArthur Chairman.

BobTrelford Treasurer.

Ron Seaman Donations.

Jim McLay Government Relations.

Jane Kramer Community Relations.

Chantry Island is a symbol for the area. Numerous business enterprises and organizations use "The Lighthouse" as their symbol. The completed project will go deeper in that it will produce connections with high quality tourism, education, the art community, historians and scientists.

The project will influence the following areas in the percentages indicated.:

• Annual Fish Fry on the long July weekend in Pioneer Park. This year we would like to extend the fish fry to include local musicians and performers. This will be a family event.
• In conjunction with the Fish Fry we will hold the first annual Chantry Island Games. Contests will include two handed sand carries in large pails on the nearby beach. This will mimic the work that was so difficult to do in 1999’s restoration phase.
• We also will hold a photography contest and sale at the Fish Fry. This will feature photos of the Island and Lighthouse.
• August 18th we will again host the Chantry Island Golf Tourney at Saugeen Golf Club in Saugeen Shores. This is a great event. We will expand the after dinner fun to include musical entertainment by our local musical talent. Remember this is a scramble. Be sure to enter your four person team early. We have some surprises this year.
• We will again appear at the Pumpkinfest. This year we plan to offer refreshments that will attract even more visitors. Our display will be expanded.

Do not miss any of these family events.

Our Budget for 2000: We estimate that we will require $50,000 for next years-building program.

A proper and safe dock is the most difficult of the tasks and the most costly.

We are also looking for working help. Contact us in the spring of 2000 and we’ll tell you our working schedule for the year. The Peerless leaves from Southampton Harbour most every morning during our working times on the Island.