Gateway to Superior

Gateway to the Superior - Saving the DeTour Reef Light

Gateway to the Superior – Saving the DeTour Reef Light

“Gateway to Superior: Saving the DeTour Reef Light” was produced by the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society (DRLPS) and Ric Mixter of Airworthy Productions on the history and restoration of the DeTour Reef Light.

“The film is uniquely educational and entertaining,” said Dave Bardsley, DRLPS President and director of the project, “as it chronicles the history and restoration of an offshore lighthouse located in northern Lake Huron in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”

Fantastic footage is shown of the lighthouse before, during and after restoration, along with a fierce storm at the lighthouse in 1975. It includes interviews with the last known person who built the lighthouse in 1931 and past keepers sharing their personal experiences at the lighthouse, along with interviews of DRLPS officers and state and federal historical preservation officials.

The 83-foot historic structure, located a mile offshore on a concrete crib, warns ships of a dangerous reef at the entrance to DeTour Passage at the mouth of the St. Marys River which connects Lake Huron to Lake Superior. Restored by the DRLPS in 2004, it proudly sits between the two communities of DeTour Village and Drummond Island as part of the rich maritime history of the region.

To order your copy of Gateway to Superior: Saving the DeTour Reef Light, please send $15.84 ($8 for the video, $7.84 for tax, shipping and handling) to DRLPS, PO Box 307, Drummond Island MI 49726. VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Discover are accepted.

Funding for this project was provided by Michigan Coastal Management Program, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and matched by DRLPS volunteer services. All profits from the sale of this film go to the DRLPS, a nonprofit taxexempt 501(c)(3) organization established in 1998, dedicated to preserving the historical, educational, cultural, and recreational value of the DeTour Reef Light.