The Point Abino Lighthouse is located in the township of Bertie on the rocky shores of Lake Erie, on Point Abino Road South, Ridgeway, approximately ten miles from the Town of Fort Erie. In a letter from Chief Brant, written in 1794 he refers to this area as Point Appineau. Abino is most likely an abridged form of the Ottchipway word abino-dgi, meaning child.
The Point Abino Lighthouse was constructed in 1917 by the Department of Marine and Fisheries, in response to increased traffic on Lake Erie.
In 1995 the Point Abino Lighthouse was decommissioned and was declared a National Historic Site. In 2003 the town of Fort Erie purchased the site and since that time great effort has been made to recondition the lighhouse to it's former glory.
The Point Abino Lighthouse is located inside a gated, upscale private community with no public access. Subsequently, every year the town of Fort Erie must negotiate with the Point Abino Association to allow pedestrian traffic access to the lighthouse.
During the summer months between June 21 - Labour Day site visits are permitted to pedestrians, bicycles, and motorized handicap scooters with permission at the gate from Monday to Friday from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the exception of Saturday guided tour dates.*
The town of Fort Erie gives guided tours of the lighthouse.**
* ** check with the town of Fort Erie as times and dates are subject to change.
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