The Lighthouse Keeper

Abstract

Lighthouses are the heart and soul of hundreds of communities across Atlantic Canada; they were integral to the survival and growth of their people while acting as a safety net around the coasts. These communities no longer require lighthouses to guide their fishing vessels and passing ships to safety. Now that their primary purpose is no longer required, many of these buildings are being lost. This is due to a lack of resources to keep them properly maintained, especially when faced with the increasing frequency of harsh weather conditions due to climate change. Their histories and experiences tied to them are usually kept isolated from each other, tucked away in an old photo album or journal drifting into obscurity. This research aims to provide new ways to preserve the histories and stories associated with these buildings in a way these small communities can access and afford while allowing a broader range of people across the world a glimpse into this unique community. To achieve this, new emerging accessible technologies have been utilized such as interactive web mapping and 3D scanning to create an immersive virtual experience. A variety of media will be hosted in this virtual environment such as photos, videos, and audio recordings, collected from each lighthouse in order to best understand these iconic buildings. This research and resultant web tool will empower small coastal communities by providing them new more accessible ways of recording their histories while simultaneously increasing outside intrigue and potentially bolstering their tourism economies and preservation resources.