PEI

Coastal erosion's effect on fishermen, ferry a concern in eastern P.E.I.

People in eastern P.E.I. are concerned about coastal erosion in and around Wood Islands and the impact it may have on the ferry service and fishermen in the area.

Residents want area dredged as silt from dunes builds up in channel

Coastline
The coastline in Wood Islands is eroding at a rate of about 18 centimetres a year. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

People in eastern P.E.I. are concerned about coastal erosion in and around Wood Islands and the impact it may have on the ferry service and fishermen in the area.

The coastline in Wood Islands, where the ferry runs between P.E.I. and Caribou, N.S.,  is eroding at a rate of about 18 centimetres each year.

Norman Stewart, who lives on the coast, said high winds and heavy waves are pushing silt from local sand dunes into the Northumberland Strait, causing problems for local fishermen and the ferry service.

In January 2016, wind and wave action from a westerly storm breached a section of beach reaching out into the water, he explained.

Man in blue jacket standing by coast.
Wood Islands resident Norman Stewart says the channel has never been the same since a 2016 storm. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

"And since that time, the beach never recovered," Stewart said.

He would like to see artificial rock reefs built nearby, similar to ones that protect a provincial park and lighthouse in West Point.

Erosion in Wood Islands threatens fishers and ferry service

1 year ago
Duration 2:51
There is growing concern around coastal erosion in and around Wood Islands, P.E.I., and the impact it may have on the ferry service that operates there. CBC’s Wayne Thibodeau spoke with people in the area who say they want something done about it.

Blair Aiken, president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce, said public confidence in the ferry service has already been shaken by mechanical issues that caused disruptions over the past several years.

The last thing people want is silt to impact the ability of the ferries to dock, he said. 

"The service itself doesn't get the attention it deserves until there's a problem," Aiken said. "And it seems to operate in the eyes of the political sphere on a four-year mandate.

"So what we're looking for is a solution — a long-term solution." 

Woman standing in field.
Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast-Murray River, says she has contacted Transport Canada about dredging the channel. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

Darlene Compton, the MLA for the area, said she's been lobbying Transport Canada, which oversees the ferry service, to do some dredging. She said she has not yet received a response.

"It's a real concern for the fishermen, and for the ferry, if we don't get some dredging here and have a little bit more attention to the area," she said. "It's really going to impact the ferry service, and the fishermen's livelihood." 

The province said it will need to contract a coastal engineer to assess the site. But it doesn't want to do anything until Transport Canada outlines what it plans to do.

In an email to CBC News on Wednesday, Transport Canada said it is "not aware of any operational impacts to the ferry service caused by shoreline erosion."

The federal agency said it hired a consultant in 2022 to carry out a coastal study in the region, and is now looking at the options that consultant presented, "which include the potential installation of stabilization structures to reduce the impacts of waves and infilling in the harbour."

Transport Canada said the channel near Wood Islands was last dredged two years ago, as part of a regular cycle of maintenance, and officials don't see a need for more at the moment. 

"Regular maintenance dredging of the Northumberland Strait channel is a requirement as the channel infills over time," the statement said. "Dredging activities typically occur every five to 10 years depending on the requirements of the different sections of the channel."

With files from Carolyn Ryan