Reinforcements are coming to secure Centennial Park’s shoreline.
Last April, the steel break wall running along the shore of Callander’s Centennial Park was badly damaged by a storm. Relentless waves wrecked the municipal dock, and the steel wall pulled away from its anchors.
The new sidewalk along the shore escaped damage, but the shoreline was eroded some, and without protection, that erosion will worsen. However, plans are well underway to install a new wall in June 2025.
See: High water and relentless wind pummel Callander’s shore
It was an unexpected expense, but necessary. Mayor Robb Noon noted, “The break wall is a key piece of infrastructure that protects the park.” Council has allocated $500,000 in next year’s budget for the project and is still looking for funding opportunities.
“Unfortunately, insurance won’t cover the costs,” Mayor Noon said. Hope remains high that funds will be available from Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA), and municipal staff are waiting for an update on that. The estimated cost to fix the break wall and landscape the area is around $580,000.
Why wait until next summer when spring’s waves and rains will be crashing down before you know it? Staff noted in a report to council, “The anticipated construction will have to be delayed until all Conservation Authority, Ministry of Natural Resources and Department of Fisheries Ontario approvals have been obtained, likely after the end of fish spawning season, in June of 2025.”
In the meantime, an engineer is putting together a report regarding the damage, which will be sent to the province in support of the town’s MDRA funding request.
The current break wall is 30 years old, and a complete replacement is in the works. Rock will be used instead of steel, as a new steel wall was estimated at around $780,000. Limestone blocks, between 16 and 18 inches in length, will form the wall. And they’ll need a lot, as the new break wall is set to be 340 metres long – around 1,115 feet.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
