A Sylvan Lake landmark’s days are numbered.
The red and white lighthouse that has stood on the shore near the marina since 1988 is scheduled for demolition.
Town chief administrative officer Betty Osmond told council on Monday night that the lighthouse, which is on private land and near a proposed condominium complex, was in too poor condition to be salvageable and will have to be knocked down.
A provincial building inspector and local fire inspector have examined the structure and determined it can’t be saved.
Mayor Susan Samson said the lighthouse has been in poor repair almost since it was built. Only a year after it was erected by a local resident it was condemned as unsafe and had to be shored up internally.
It was also hit by fire at one point.
“It’s going to be a controversial thing again, for sure,” she said of the lighthouse’s demise.
Councillors also expressed their concern that the public would not take kindly to seeing the lighthouse torn down.
Coun. Sean McIntyre called it a “beloved landmark.”
Council voted to make sure that the lighthouse was replaced, either with another one or some other landmark that would meet local residents’ approval. The town plans to go to the public to gather ideas about what could be done to replace the lighthouse.
“We might build the exact same thing because people love it,” said Samson. “We’ll go back to the public and see what they think.”