Sidney looking to demolish or replace iconic wharf
For more than a century, a wharf has stood at the bottom of Beacon Avenue in Sidney, B.C. Now, with the current wharf over 60 years old, the municipality is considering whether to replace or demolish the aging structure.
A recent engineering report found the aging pier will require a major investment to extend its life past 2028.
The current wharf saw its last major renovation more than 60 years ago. Sidney’s Mayor says more than $400,000 has been spent to maintain the wharf and keep it safe since it was acquired from the federal government in 2006.
"Condition assessments over the last 10 years and spending more than $400,000 indicates that it is nearing the end of its life and can’t be maintained at that level of maintenance," said Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith.
"We have five to eight years left in the current wharf, estimated,” he said. "Council fully appreciates that the wharf is iconic and special in our community and we wanted to start the process early and take the necessary time to consider the future of the wharf with input from the community."
McNeil-Smith says the preliminary options being considered for the site are: a wharf on a pile structure – similar to the current wharf, a wharf on a "rubble mound" structure, and an option for a floating wharf.
He says a fourth option being considered is demolishing and not replacing the more than six-decades-old structure.
"We know we have to take into account climate change, rising sea levels and storm surges," said McNeil-Smith.
"The current design, or the 'rumble mound' structure, would require (the wharf) to be over two metres higher than it currently is," he said. "Council doesn’t really feel that’s compatible with the adjacent uses, so we’ve considered the floating option and the option of no replacement."
McNeil-Smith says the estimated cost for the remaining floating wharf option could range between $10- to $17 million.
Due to the iconic status of the historic Beacon Avenue Wharf and estimated cost of replacing it, the town has just finished a considerable round of public consultation.
"The community engagement was significant – we had open houses here at (Beacon Park), we had a community survey, and we had a special edition of our 'Town Talk' with lots of information," said McNeil-Smith.
"We’ve seen over 1,000 (survey) responses and all of the individual responses will come before council," he added.
The mayor says town staff are reviewing the responses and will provide a report to town council at a meeting in November. He says council is not up against a deadline to make a decision on the future of the wharf.
"We haven’t set a specific time," said McNeil-Smith. "We wanted to start the process early and take the necessary time."
"We need to plan ahead because if the current structure would have to be removed, we might have to get approvals with regards to building on the water and so it could take some time to put the future in place," he said.
McNeil-Smith says the town does not currently have a replacement fund for the Beacon Wharf. He says should an option be chosen to demolish or replace the existing wharf, the town would need to borrow the funds.
"If there was support for a particular option and we went to borrowing, the community would actually have input on us approving that borrowing," said the mayor. "We appreciate that it's part of our small town, part of our seaside character – has been for decades now – but this investment will be to build for the next 50 years."
More information on the Beacon Wharf replacement project can be found on the Town of Sidney website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
California Disney characters are unionizing decades after Florida peers. Hollywood plays a role
California performers are organizing to be represented by a union now, more than four decades after their Florida counterparts did so.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.