Study of canal piers would be costly: city staff

It would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars just to study the condition of federally owned piers at the Burlington Canal, municipal staff say.

“Having said that, we don’t know that the federal government hasn’t already done that,” says Gary Moore, Hamilton’s director of engineering services.

If it has, Ottawa hasn’t shared that information, said Moore outside a meeting of the Greater Bay Area Subcommittee on Monday.

The federal government wants to unload the concrete piers along with the nearby lift bridge and lighthouse.

Moore said a cursory inspection of the piers, which are mostly underwater, showed them to be in “good shape.”

The two concrete piers, which stretch out onto Lake Ontario from the harbour, are popular among waterfront trail strollers.

But neither Burlington nor Hamilton are interested in taking over the maintenance costs of the aging infrastructure, including the lift bridge.

Coun. Judi Partridge, of Hamilton, said the piers would require proper barriers to make sure children don’t fall into the harbour.

“And who would be responsible?” asked Partridge, noting the piers are owned by the federal government.

Mayor Rick Goldring, of Burlington, noted Halton region is planning to spend as much as $50 million over the next 20-25 years to improve the shoreline from Spencer Smith Park to the canal bridge.

Goldring suggested some funding could also be spent on enhancing the piers.