‘It’s falling to pieces’: N.B. community group hopes to purchase deteriorating wharf

Residents are trying to save the crumbling wharf in Cape Tormentine, N.B.

It was once the pride of the small community of Cape Tormentine, N.B., but it’s been falling apart for years.

Today, curious visitors and people fishing off the wharf can see gaping holes, exposed rebar, abandoned buildings and a lighthouse in need of saving.

“It’s not in very good condition right now,” said Richard Cameron, who came from Sackville to fish mackerel. “The wharf is just deteriorating. I used to come over and catch the ferry to go to Prince Edward Island.

“You don’t see no ferries come here anymore.”

The Cape Tormentine Community Development Corporation (CTCDC) wants something done about it, or better yet, purchase it themselves and apply for federal funding for a fixup.

“The wharf is not in good condition,” said Carolyn Allen, vice-president of the volunteer group. “It’s falling to pieces. It’s a hazard. We need it to be kept up, but it’s not being kept up.”

Catherine Noonan, president of the CTCDC, said they’ve made multiple efforts to reach out to the owner, but haven’t heard anything from him in years.

“The community wants it back in the community hands,” said Noonan. “The public has asked us to look into it.”

What the cost of the wharf might be isn’t known, but if the CTCDC did acquire it, Noonan said they would need government assistance for repairs.

“The first step is to get the answer, will he, and can we then start applying for federal funding?” said Noonan. “There’s environmental concerns out there. It needs to be cleaned up.”

They’ve been dreaming about turning the wharf into a tourist destination since the ferry terminal closed in 1997 when the Confederation Bridge was complete.

That was a devastating blow to the community, but since then a successful camping ground has opened on the former ferry terminal and parking lot and the annual long weekend music festival is coming up.

“It’s definitely not a ghost town,” said Allen. “It’s a beautiful place to be. There’s not a lot of hustle and bustle which is nice for people, especially if you’re coming from the larger centres.”

CTV News Atlantic made efforts to reach the owner of the wharf on Monday, but did not hear back.

In an email, Strait Shores Mayor Annamarie Boyd said the wharf in Cape Tormentine is more than aging timber and concrete.

“It is part of our identity. It tells the story of who we are, where we came from and the generations who built their lives along the Northumberland Strait,” said Boyd.

Boyd said since the Marine Atlantic ferry closed, the wharf was decommissioned and sold.

“And unfortunately it has been left to fall into disrepair and is literally disappearing into the sea,” said Boyd. “Entire sections have collapsed and now lie beneath the water.”

Boyd said the current owner has an opportunity to clean up the deteriorating property or allow someone else with the vision and commitment to restore it.

“That future is still possible, but only if action is taken before there is nothing left to save,” said Boyd.

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