Work is underway at the Pointe-du-Chêne wharf to brace for the impact of Hurricane Lee, which is expected to hit New Brunswick on Saturday.
This comes only one month after the extensive repair work that was needed to fix damage from Hurricane Fiona, which hit last September, was completed.
Hurricane Fiona caused major damage to the wharf’s access road, its diesel and gas tanks, and the footings and decks of various buildings, among other damages.
Pointe-du-Chêne wharf general manager Victor Cormier said he feels the wharf is better prepared for a hurricane compared with last year.
“Now we’re not taking any chances, there’s not going to be any guesswork. We’re tying everything down, we’re moving everything, we’re getting ready for the worst,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.
He said the repairs have cost nearly $2.5 million.
A new sea wall has been constructed to protect the access road.
“The new sea wall was well engineered, well constructed. It should break down the waves,” Cormier said.
Though boat owners are usually able to park their boats in the marina until Sept. 25, management has asked them to take them out ahead of the weekend, which Cormier said most already had.
Cormier has hired a security firm to turn people away at the gate if the storm is severe enough to close the wharf.
“This is a dangerous situation and we can’t let the public in,” he said.
“If anybody’s thinking of coming down (this weekend), please don’t.”
Pointe-du-Chêne became part of the municipality of Shediac in January, as part of sweeping local governance reforms across the province.
Last September, it was part of a local service district, with the province in charge of the costs of maintenance and cleanup.
Shediac Mayor Roger Caissie said it’s too early to estimate how storm cleanup in Pointe-du-Chêne could impact Shediac’s bottom line, but the town will be working with the province’s Emergency Measures Organization to provide services or facilities if need be.
He said the upkeep of the roads in Pointe-du-Chêne is still a provincial responsibility, as with all local service districts amalgamated into larger municipalities.
“The municipality did not obtain control of roads in Pointe-du-Chêne, in Shediac Cape, in Scoudouc … that’s still with the province of New Brunswick so they’re still going to have a role with that,” he said.
“We may be able to assist in some manner that we weren’t before because they are now part of Shediac.”
Caissie said Shediac was already providing services from its fire department to Pointe-du-Chêne and other recently amalgamated communities “for decades” before amalgamation.
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