Piles of dirt removed from Grand Manan shore after blocking harbour views for years
Dredged-up rock and dirt sat by shore after wharf project stalled
Large piles of dredged-up rock and dirt from a failed construction project on Grand Manan Island have all but disappeared from the shoreline.
The debris sat for years, blocking the expansive views of the North Head harbour and fisherman's wharf from restaurant patios and residences.
In at least one case, the unsightly piles contributed to the closure of a café.
"It's incredibly frustrating that it got cleaned up that quickly after waiting that long for something to happen," said Kim Shoefelt, who lives about a five-minute walk from the sit.
When the cleanup was finally done, it took only two or three days, he said, but things were lost during the "drawn-out" wait.
"We lost our favourite little café coffee shop."
The Old Well Head Café closed its doors and the owner left the island in the Bay of Fundy earlier this year, despite spending about $200,000 on building upgrades.
The piles of rock obscured views and discouraged tourists and patrons, owner Kiera Dall'Ostro has said.
Last Friday, the Village of Grand Manan sent an email to news organizations saying it was taking action to get the rock piles removed so the views could be restored.
"The Village of Grand Manan has begun work to clean up the site of the North Head wharf project," wrote Chris Rayner, the chief administrative officer for the village.
Rayner said the village had signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal Department of Public Services and Procurement.
"The Village supports infrastructure development and improvements in our community and looks forward to the wharf project completion," he wrote. "In the meantime, it is good to have this area restored for the enjoyment of residents and tourists alike."
Failed wharf
The stone and dirt were dug up from North Head harbour as part of a new wharf construction project that was supposed to be completed in January 2023, according to the terms of the $15.8-million federal contract awarded in 2021 to Greenfield Construction.
According to Public Services and Procurement Canada, the job was taken "out of the contractor's hands" in the fall of 2024, and the contractor's bonding company was notified at the same time.
"Since that time the federal department has been in discussions with the bonding company "to ensure the work resumes at the earliest opportunity, but parties have not reached a mutually beneficial solution," said a written statement provided by Janie Haché on behalf of the department.
"As a result, we do not yet have a schedule for the completion of the remainder of the work."
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