By Mark Reid

Nova Scotia’s lighthouses have rescued countless mariners over the centuries.

However, many of these historic beacons, weathered by time, need a lifeline of their own.

Thankfully, a recent online contest has resulted in a $300,000 funding infusion to help repair and preserve these iconic structures.

The National Trust for Canada launched the contest last summer, asking citizens to go online to pledge money and to cast votes for a collection of needy lighthouses. More than 220,000 votes were cast, and nine beacons shared $250,000 in prize money. An additional $50,000 was raised via crowdfunding.

There were three award categories, based on community size. First place in the “Ebb Tide” category was the Annapolis lighthouse at Annapolis Royal. The “Low Tide” winner was the Digby Pier lighthouse at Digby, and the “High Tide” winner was Low Point lighthouse in New Victoria.

Carolyn Quinn, spokesperson for the National Trust, said the organization is pleased with the outcome and intends to use this fundraising model for future heritage preservation campaigns.

The complete list of prize-winners is as follows:

Ebb Tide 1. Annapolis 2. Henry Island 3. Sandy Point

Low Tide 1. Digby Pier 2. Neils Harbour 3. Battery Point

High Tide 1.Low Point 2. Gabarus 3. Cape Forchu