After years of neglect, the gun battery at the York Redoubt National Historic Site is crumbling. The battery was built when the Second World War broke out, but hasn’t been utilized for years.
“It was built really quickly and kind of as a temporary war measure,” said Jonathan Nash, project manager with Parks Canada.
Parks Canada is now looking to stabilize the site by removing the command towers and gun emplacement roofs.
“The main components that we’re moving are all made out of steel,” Nash said.
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“With it’s location, it’s located right on the ocean so the salt spray and the wind causes steel to deteriorate at an accelerated rate compared to the concrete or masonry sites around here.”
The gun battery is currently fenced off and closed to the public, although Nash says people continue to access the site.
“In 2009, we had closed off the site due to some of the elements becoming unstable and we have some hazard signs but unfortunately, it’s evident that people are bypassing our warnings and ignoring it, so we want to reduce the risk for anyone who is avoiding our warning signs so just to improve the safety.”
Companies will be bidding on the project this week.
At this point, it’s unclear how much it will cost to stabilize the gun battery but it’s hoped the project will be complete by next spring.
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