Turning Rock is a navigational hazard located just off Canary Island in Waubaushene Channel. In 1915, a square wooden tower that had served as Midland Point Front Range Lighthouse from 1900 until that range was discontinued in 1913, was relocated to Turning Rock. The following Notice to Mariners publicized the establishment of the new light:

Date of establishment – Opening of navigation in 1915, without further notice.

Position – On Turning Rock.

Character – White light, automatically occulted at short intervals.

Elevation – 30 feet.

Visibility – 6 miles.

Illuminating apparatus – A lens lantern.

Illuminant – Acetylene.

Structure – Enclosed tower, square in plan, with sloping sides; square lantern.

Material – Wood.

Colour – Tower white; lantern, red.

Height – 30 feet, from its base to the top of the ventilator on the lantern.

Remarks – The light will be unwatched.

Day labour, under the direction of J. Fitzpatrick, moved the wooden lighthouse to its new home.

The Turning Rock that received the lighthouse in 1915 was listed as Turning Rock Waubaushene to distinguish it from Turning Rock off Roberts Island, roughly eleven kilometres to the northwest, that had a wooden slatwork beacon built on it in 1914 and then a skeleton steel tower with an occulting white light constructed on it in 1919.

The white, square tower on Turning Rock appeared on the annual Light List through 1962, and then in 1963, the Light List shows that a skeletal tower with a red and white horizontally banded daymark had been placed on Turning Rock. The characteristic of the light at this time was a flashing white light with a period of five seconds. In 2021, a skeletal tower with a red-and-white rectangular daymark was displaying a flashing white light with a period of four seconds on Turning Rock.

References

1. Annual Report of the Department of Marine, various years.

The light is best seen by boat.

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