PORT HOOD, N.S. — A project to demolish and stabilize a portion of the Port Hood public wharf is being moved forward by the Municipality of the County of Inverness.
The municipality recently filed an application with the federal minister of transport, pursuant to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, for approval of the planned work at the weather-beaten wharf.
“It is a long process,” said Inverness County Warden Betty Ann MacQuarrie, who also represents Port Hood and Mabou in council. “We’ve been working on this for a couple of years and now it’s getting very close to happening.”
The wharf, located off Water Street near Port Hood Beach, has sustained damage over the years caused by storm surge. The damage forced the municipality to completely close off the wharf to the general public in recent years.
“There have been signs up with concerns for vehicles driving out on the wharf and concerns about people diving off the wharf into unsafe conditions underwater,” said MacQuarrie.
Currently, concrete barriers sit at the entrance to the wharf in an attempt to keep vehicles away from the facility. The wharf’s concrete is severely damaged and a section of the dock is completely gone.
As part of the planned work, a portion of the wharf will remain in place and will be refurbished in order to protect the coastline including a portion of the community’s boardwalk.
“There’s some areas that really do need protection,” said MacQuarrie. “There will be some protection left, whether it’s going to be enough or not, I don’t know, but we’re trying to make sure that it’s considered during the whole effort to stabilize it.
“It will be made to be appealing to the eye — there might be a walkway to a certain distance, leaving no opportunities for diving or anything like that in the area.”
The Municipality of the County of Inverness took over the Port Hood wharf in the late 1990s after the federal government divested the management of harbours and related facilities.
The more than 50-year-old wharf remained in operation for several years after that and was used by local fishermen, who now use Murphy’s Pond Marina just up the road from the old wharf.
Keith MacDonald, Inverness County chief administrative officer, said the municipality has been working with the Port Hood Area Development Society throughout the process of the project.
“They’re pleased that the project is moving forward,” said MacDonald. “The community is awaiting successful completion of the initiative.”
In the planning stages, MacDonald said the municipality investigated the issues with the wharf and obtained engineering plans as they moved towards its demolition and stabilization.
“We brought those plans to the community for input,” he said. “All of those steps have been followed and the municipality has decided to move forward.”
Meanwhile, there are also concerns about the Port Hood Island wharf. Local residents have voiced their concerns regarding access to the island.
MacQuarrie said the original plan was to replace the wharf on the island, however, that scenario has changed for the time being.
“For the interim period, we are and have already purchased some floating docks to replace the ones that have been damaged and to do some work around the ladders and decking,” she said.
“This is to make it is usable for this period of time and we will see after this winter what’s left to be done and we will look at it then.”
MacQuarrie told the Cape Breton Post close to 40 people live on the island, however, only one person lives there year-round.
As for the Port Hood wharf, residents can share their concerns regarding the effect of the work on marine navigation. Those written comments can be sent to the navigation protection program.
Comments will be considered if they are received no later than 30 days from the notice publication, which was posted on Aug. 13.
For more information and how to submit comments, visit www.invernesscounty.ca.
