Baddeck wharf getting upgrades
Long-awaited upgrades to the Baddeck wharf to extend its life for another generation have been given the go ahead with close to $1.2 million in government funding.
Develop Nova Scotia, the provincial Crown corporation responsible for developing infrastructure across the province, will build new floating docks as well as gangways and attachments as part of the project.
The wharf also received funding contributions from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Victoria County, the Village of Baddeck and $20,000 in community donations.
Develop Nova Scotia also announced Monday it plans to invest $85,000 in flexible floating docks in Mahone Bay on the South Shore.
The rehabilitation plan for Baddeck's waterfront is based on Develop Nova Scotia's marine visitation plan, which identifies a provincial boating itinerary based on port market readiness, existing demand and clusters of recreational and marine businesses to support visitation.
Little significant work has been done to the centuryold Baddeck wharf in the last 16 years. In 2019, the Waterfront Baddeck committee estimated the cost of wharf repairs would be about $400,000 after deficiencies were identified by engineering firm EXP.
Committee chair Bill Marchant said the funding will allow the wharf to go beyond a modest refurbishment and instead transform the structure with 15 floating docks that will have the ability to cater to super yachts and small cruise ships.
“(We) haven't any idea at all what effect it'll have on the traffic but we do expect an increase, and we'll be able to accommodate larger boats better (such as) the super yacht size,” Marchant said.
“It's a 300-foot wharf, so with these floats that Develop Nova Scotia is putting alongside, we can accommodate pretty big boats.”
He said it was confirmed to him a couple of seasons ago, speaking with the captain of the MS Fram expedition cruise ship during a visit, that mooring a vessel along a floating dock is routine practice at ports in Europe.
“The floating docks on the east side of the (Baddeck) wharf will be very substantial: 10-feet wide, the full 300-foot length of the wharf.”
The floating dock in Baddeck will be owned by Develop Nova Scotia and maintained and managed through agreements with the village.
Some demolition work on the wharf began last week by Hammonds Plains firm Eagle Beach Contractors Ltd. The company will also be responsible for building the floating docks. A tender for the refurbishment of the wharf is expected to be advertised this week.
The wharf's concrete deck is held up by as many as 250 wooden piles. It's estimated by Marchant that at least 18 will need to be replaced. Part of the concrete deck will need to be cut out and restored.
The fendering system around the wharf's perimeter is rotten or broken in sections and will need to be replaced, as well.
The extent of upgrades to the wharf's electrical system has yet to be determined.
“We had hoped to provide 100 amps of three-phase power on the wharf but that appears to be too expensive for the budget we have,” Marchant said.
“We will do the best we can with what we've got, and we're probably a month away from knowing what those upgrades will be specifically with regard to the electrical.”
Following a dismal tourism season due to travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Victoria County is looking for these improvements to enhance Baddeck's reputation as a summer resort village along the Bras d'or Lake.
“We certainly see the (Baddeck waterfront) becoming the focal point of the community,” Victoria County Warden Bruce Morrison said.
“We think that as this project continues, we see it as being an anchor for development for the waterfront area and for the village itself.”
He said the work will further enhance Baddeck's reputation as a premier boating destination.
Develop Nova Scotia president and CEO Jennifer Angel said these types of projects result in “authentic destinations” that support the community's priorities.
“A strong provincial marine network helps to build opportunities for business, create new public spaces for people to come together, attract local visitors by land and sea, and once it's safe to welcome visitors again, attract marine visitors from around the world to our shores,” she said in a news release.
Much of the repair work to the deck of the wharf won't begin for another couple of months, said Marchant, whose committee has been working to make the project a reality for nearly three years.
He said he is hoping work will continue throughout the coldest and stormiest time of the year.
“I hope it's a very mild winter.”