MONCTON — With the road to the Pointe-du-Chêne Wharf in New Brunswick completely blocked off, it might not look like a positive sign, but the piles upon piles of rock paint a positive picture.
“The public can be reassured that the wharf will be open for business as usual the May long weekend,” said the Pointe-du-Chêne Harbour Authority General Manager Victor Cormier.
Multiple construction trucks are a reminder of what Fiona left behind last year. The damage included buildings pulled of their foundations, ripped up asphalt, flooding and much more, but Cormier says repairs are well underway.
“We’re going to resurface the whole road, we’re going to have a bike lane, two way bike lane and a sidewalk,” he said. “Then we’re going to put armor stone and fabric on the beachside.”
He says the road repairs alone will cost around $1.2 million, but the total price tag is much higher.
“We lost both our gas and diesel tank and our kiosk so we’re going to have to replace those things. We’ve got our deck and the various buildings have fallen off their foundation,” he explained.
“Basically it’s going to range between $3-4 million to get everything done. I know that Rob Taylor, that owns the sandbar, he demolished the old sand bar and he’s rebuilding it as we speak. I think they’re pouring the foundation.”
Cormier says a claim was made through insurance which covers the buildings and contents. The wharf also applied for help to cover the rest.
“We’ve applied with ECOA and with EMO, the province, we’re still waiting to find out,” he said. “It looks good, but we should hear something within the next two-three weeks.”
However, the goal isn’t just to replace what was lost or damaged, but to put the wharf back together in a way that’s going to be strong enough to mitigate any future storms.
“It’s great to see,” said Point-du-Chêne councillor, Harry McInroy. “It’s good to see that it’s going to be even stronger then prior to Fiona, I think that’s very important. The road will be wider, the rock placement will be more substantial then what was in previously so hopefully this will last for a long time.”
Staff have been working through their off season in hopes to have the wharf completely ready to go by the start of tourism season.
“We only have a short season,” said Cormier. “You’ve got to manage the time, you’ve got to get everything done so you can open.”
McInroy says the wharf is a big draw for tourists and that tourism is a key industry for the area.
“Locally for the community it’s very significant, very important, highly valued for what it has to offer and very much appreciated by the residents as well as tourist who drop by,” he said. “It’s an icon in the Greater Shediac area.”
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated page.
