Two of New Brunswick’s provincial parks has been forced to shut down, weeks ahead of the normal end of tourism season.
Murray Beach Provincial Park and Parlee Beach Provincial Park suffered extensive damage as hurricane Dorian swept through Atlantic Canada this past weekend.
“This is the most damage we have ever seen in our parks, especially for the southeast. So for us, we are taking this very seriously,” said Allen Bard, director of parks and attractions for the province.
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Bard said Murray Beach was hit the hardest.
A trailer was lifted off its blocks and flipped three times by Dorian’s violent winds. It now lies in a heap of rubble.
“This storm was a dandy. I have seen a lot of storms but this is a lot of damage this is the worst damage I have ever seen in this park” said longtime camper Laurie Babineau.
Bard said the roof lifted right off a kitchen shelter while a second shelter toppled to the ground and vacationer cabins were pushed several feet.
On Tuesday, tree removal crews brought in from Mactaquac Provincial Park tried to clear away more than 100 trees strewn across the now unrecognizable camping site.
Doug Alexander was one of the workers and he said that a lot of wind damage brought down the large pine trees.
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At Parlee Beach near Shediac, N.B., Dorian’s storm surge carved away huge sections of the beach, closing it for the season.
“We have lost almost four to five feet of sand,” said Bard.
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Bard said the entire beach will have to be restored this fall, but says the cost to repair both provincial parks is still unclear.
Bard expects that the province will lose out on tourism revenue due to the unprecedented early shutdowns.