Province in search of engineer for Victoria seawall upgrades

The Village of Victoria, P.E.I., is looking for engineering companies that are interested in working on major upgrades to the community, including replacing the seawall.

The province recently put out a request for proposals, calling on engineering companies to submit applications and designs for the project, with the hopes of having construction of the wall completed by spring.

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The 90-metre-long seawall is part of major upgrades to the area, including a new pedestrian pathway to connect the waterfront with green space and business areas, a recreational area and upgrading the historic Victoria schoolhouse.

"We're hoping to get a big response," said Kent Bruyneel, executive director of Central Development Corporation, the company overseeing the project.

Crumbling seawall

The crumbling seawall has been a major concern to residents, according to Victoria's chief administrative officer, Hilary Price.

"It's deteriorated considerably and we've had flooding in that area and one of our main streets, Water Street, is just a few feet away from there," Price said.

"It impacts our little community greatly and if we don't do something it will create much more flooding in that area."

'A very, very necessary thing to do'

She said that in addition to the seawall, a walkway will be built alongside it to redirect traffic away from the wharf.

"Our tourism has increased tremendously over the last few years and we've noted that that whole area down there is log jammed with traffic and tourists mingling," Price said, adding that a walkway will provide safer access to the beach.  

Victoria received funding through ACOA in 2016 and is using its gas tax to help pay for the projects. ​The combined cost of all three projects is expected to be about $1.2 million.

"We felt it a very, very necessary thing to do and the community has been behind us 100 per cent on this," Price said.

Hopes for sustainability and longevity

Bruyneel said the project will need to strike a balance between sustainability and efficiency.

"It's really an attempt to keep the village in its original aesthetic and its original heritage but updated for people to use now."

In order to move forward with the project, his company has had to conduct surveys of the area to ensure the protection of native aquaculture in the area, a top priority according to Bruyneel.

"I want to see ... words like 'sustainable' and words like 'solid' and 'we can trust it's going to be there for a long time' and using materials that are biodegradable," he said of potential applications from engineers.

Bruyneel said there's already been some engineering companies that have expressed interest in doing the project. 

Candidates will undergo a scoring process by his company and the administration of Victoria, with a selection made in February.

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