In recent communication with the Town of Saugeen Shores and Mayor Mike Smith, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (FO) expressed concern with the condition of the south breakwall at the Port Elgin Harbour.
In a January 23 Committee of the Whole meeting it was made clear that the breakwall was indeed owned by FO and as per a 2016 agreement between the Town of Saugeen Shores and the FO, “repairs of any major structural kind” were indeed the responsibility of the federal department.
In a February 20 letter to Mayor Mike Smith and the Town of Saugeen Shores, Mark Sandeman, Area Manager and Client Services, Fisheries and Oceans Canada agreed to proceed with retaining an engineering firm for the structural repairs and, through their Small Craft Harbours program, fund the installation of a barricade “to ensure public safety”.
Jayne Jagelewski, Director of Community Services said that ultimately closing the breakwall to the public until it is deemed safe is the FO’s decision, not the municipality’s. “They want to work with us in coming up with a decision that works for both parties but obviously there’s liability concerns,” she said, adding that the Town’s insurance provider had also expressed concerns that the breakwall is being used in its current state.
Councillor Dave Myette hoped that repairs could be done without taking it out of service, saying that even in its "less than pristine state", it is "very well used" and "creates no more of a hazard than any shoreline walk or any place where you get off of the tarmac or paved surfaces.”
Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau agreed that the breakwall should remain accessible until such time that it is under construction. “I think that our advice should be that they should repair the breakwall and repair it so that it can remain open and it should remain open until it’s under construction for repair,” he said.
Mayor Mike Smith believed that they were all in agreement and that the next step is to find a way to work with the owner to best accomplish the goals set forth. “I think the community has a voice in this also,” said the Mayor. “It can be very effective if you communicate with the FO about a need for repairs so... do that individually or collectively if you have any organizations that would help there.”
