Funding committed to Saint John waterfront development

A highly anticipated project along the Saint John waterfront is set to begin following a major funding commitment Friday.

The site will include building replicas, an outdoor amphitheatre, walking paths, and bathroom facilities. The total price tag of just over $1 million comes from all three levels of government. A completion date is set for early June of 2019.

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Because of its strategic location nestled along the harbour and at the mouth of the St. John River, the French turned the area into a fortified trading post in 1631.

Beth Hatt is the owner of Aquila Tours and helped champion the project.

“I think it’s going to attract a lot of tourists,” Hatt says. “I think also it’s the first thing passengers are going to see on their cruise ships because when you look how close that is, this site will be prominent.”

Hatt says this site will add tremendous value to Harbour Passage itself.

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Saint John MP Wayne Long has been a strong advocate of the project as well.

He thinks the development is a solid contribution to the continued vibrancy along the waterfront and uptown Saint John.

“The Fort La Tour village will be a part of that. We’ve announced the New Brunswick Museum is going to be on the Coast Guard site, that construction will start sooner than later. So piece by piece, we will put the building blocks in place to develop our waterfront.”

Tenders for construction will be issued within weeks with preliminary work scheduled for later this summer.