ERIN POTTIE
CAPE BRETON POST
SYDNEY — Baddeck is looking to strengthen a community asset considered to be the centrepiece of its waterfront.
A wharf upgrade would benefit residents, tourists and the steady stream of boaters who visit the harbour each summer, say members of community-led Waterfront Baddeck.
“People who come to visit invariably end up strolling down to the wharf and the residents of Baddeck they find their way down there quite often,” said committee chairperson Bill Marchant.
“First and foremost, we have to get the repairs done. That’s a given, but we think there are other opportunities elsewhere on the waterfront or close to the waterfront.”
A recent engineering study recommends repairs and upgrades at a cost of $300,000 to extend the life of the wharf by 25 years.
During a meeting held last Thursday about 60 people gave Waterfront Baddeck the directive to begin the strategic planning process.
Marchant said the committee will, at times, be working under the guidance of Develop Nova Scotia to carry out public consultation and develop a costing scheme.
Representatives from Develop Nova Scotia are advocating that Baddeck develop a ‘port of confidence’ which would offer services and information users can rely on.
“It doesn’t have a good reputation and we want to turn that around,” Marchant said.
“The wharf was built for commercial use and it isn’t really user-friendly for people coming in in a typical-sized boat. The wharf is four feet above the water, so tying up in a small boat means you have to climb up onto the wharf.”
Marchant said another proposal is adding floating docks to both sides of the wharf, along with finger piers, to increase the number of boats that can be accommodated.
Committee member Peter Patterson, who also operates Bras d’Or Boatworks, said he left Thursday’s meeting feeling invigorated.
“We went away feeling that we had a pretty clear mandate,” he said.
“We’ve seen a lot of development (in recent years). I mean Ben Eoin, St. Peter’s and the new boardwalk in Sydney. It’s fair to say that we’ve kind of just held onto the status quo.”
Patterson said roughly two decades have passed since the Baddeck wharf has seen any significant upgrade.
“Once upon a time people were content to have a place to tie up,” said Patterson.
“Now they want to tie up, plug in, get connected even to the extent where it’s almost an ambassador role. It’s not just enough to catch somebody’s lines, you need to be able to answer their questions.
“The world is either catching up or getting ahead of us, so we really feel a need to modernize our facilities.”
Back in 1999, Transport Canada divested itself of the structure and handed it over to the Baddeck and Area Business and Tourism Association. In 2005, the property was then placed under the authority of the Village of Baddeck.
The wharf has been a fixture of the Baddeck waterfront for at least 100 years.
