Sections of iconic Manitoba pier mysteriously vanish

Sections of an iconic pier on the southwestern shores of Lake Winnipeg have mysteriously vanished.

When crews from the Village of Dunnottar went to the Matlock Pier Monday morning, they discovered three 16-foot sections, including the braces, poles, and handrails, had vanished.

“Following an inspection of them, it appears that they were vandalized,” Dunnottar CAO Sarah Palson said. “It looks like nails had been removed from them, which then obviously lessened the integrity of them, and so they washed away.”

Palson said the Matlock Pier is one of eight in the village. Each year, she said these piers are partially dismantled over the winter months to avoid ice damage. It was the sections left in place over the winter that disappeared.

She said two of the three missing sections washed up on shore, but the third is still missing.

The village has filed a police report with the Selkirk RCMP and is asking anyone with information to contact police.

In the meantime, Palson said the suspected vandalism shouldn’t delay the opening of the piers too much. The village still plans to have the piers open to the public by the end of June.

CTV News has reached out to RCMP for more details.