A deal to help save a well-known landmark near Collingwood has been approved. 

The Nottawasaga Lighthouse Preservation Society has been given the go ahead by the federal government so work to save the lighthouse can start.

The plan is to shrink wrap the entire lighthouse in plastic to stop water from getting into the masonry.  The work will begin this fall.

"The clock is ticking for the structure last winter was very unkind to it with constant freeze-thaw cycle,” says Rick Crouch, chair of the NLPS. “We've seen additional rocks fall off, moisture penetration to the inside so we really want to seal up the structure while we raise the necessary funds for a full restoration." 

The shrink wrapping is expected to cost about $80,000 – money the lighthouse charity already has.  Fund raising efforts for the restoration will continue. 

The group needs to raise about $2 million to preserve and restore the historic building.

This lighthouse was built on The Great Lakes in the mid-1800s and is on the top 10 list of endangered places in Canada.