It’s time to shore up Callander’s Centennial Park.
This past April, relentless pounding wind coupled with high water did a number on the steel break wall hedging the shore of Centennial Park. The metal pulled away from the shore in some sections, and many boards were torn from the dock.
Damage was extensive and estimates to repair the steel are expensive.
See: High water and relentless wind pummel Callander’s shore
Callander’s Manager of Operations, Tim McKenna, and Ashley Bilodeau, Callander’s Senior Municipal Director, submitted a report to council for its June 25 meeting. The report outlined some options – replacement or repair – and included an estimate for a full replacement.
A full replacement of the steel break wall will cost about $780,000 – “very expensive,” Mayor Robb Noon said. To cut costs, council agreed that the best option might be to create a new break wall with rocks, rather than steel.
“Steel is at a premium,” McKenna said, and much of the cost of a full repair would go towards materials.
Also, to save money, the town might focus attention on the most heavily damaged sections. Repair those first, then as the budget allows, continue improvements along the shore. However, the staff report cautioned “that repairs may only provide a temporary fix given the breakwalls’ age and the severity of the damage.”
The town has contacted its insurer and awaits a response. Insurance may help cover repairs, although the Municipality would still have to pay a $100,000 deductible if it goes that route. Staff are also looking into funding opportunities through Emergency Management Ontario to see if the project would be eligible for financial support.
The federal government may also be an option. Staff are looking into funding relating to preventing shoreline erosion.
Council agreed to bring the issue back for its July meeting. By then, staff should have heard back from insurance, and can also look into any permits required to alter the shore with a stone break wall as opposed to the steel.
The new wall will also allow opportunity for a new look for the shore along the park. “We will have the ability to redesign and re-envision” the waterfront, Councillor Mike Dell said.
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.
