(photo courtesy visitwiarton.ca)
The dock at the Wiarton pier and boat launch is going to be getting some long-awaited repairs this summer.
South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson says it’s taken three years for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to have a plan for repairs to the dock at the pier at Bluewater Park.
“We had extremely high water levels and the dock was actually underwater for probably two years,” Jackson says.
The work is expected to start in August and run through September, with special attention to upcoming events like the Chantry Chinook Fishing Derby.
Local angler Stu Paterson says fishing and boating enthusiasts from all over have been waiting for repairs.
“I think it’s long overdue. This dock is used not just by tourists, but by locals to fish there,” Paterson says. “The town has arrangements with the federal government to have grants and it’s going to be a successful completion.”
Jackson says there is a hope the DFO will choose a local contractor to complete the work, and possibly have the area available for use by the public on weekends, even while the work is taking place.