'A lot of the beach is gone': Parlee Beach badly damaged after post-tropical storm Fiona
One of the most popular beaches on the East Coast looks a lot different now than it did before post-tropical storm Fiona ravaged Atlantic Canada.
Boardwalks at Parlee Beach in Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., were destroyed and the sand dunes were swept away.
“A lot of the beach is gone, a lot of the dune is gone,” says resident Pat Gallant.
"I'd say at least maybe 10, 15 feet, all the way along though. Not just one spot."
For more than 30 years, New Brunswick has been trucking about 1,000 loads of sand from the western end of the beach to the eastern side to replenish what is lost in a typical year. Area MLA Jacques Leblanc says it’s going to take much more than that this year.
“We had a beach nourishment program, that’s been established since the mid-1980s. Hurricane Fiona, to recoup what we lost it, would be 5,000 truckloads of sand, that’s what I’m hearing,” says Leblanc.
The ocean took a similar toll at the Pointe-Du-Chêne Yacht Club down the road.
“The water breached over our break-wall,” says club manager Brandon Webb.
That wall stands at least 15 feet high. If they want to make it higher, Webb estimates it will cost thousands of dollars per foot to do so.
“We are really hoping that some of the disaster relief fund will come our way and we will be able to invest in this to not only protect the club and the marina, but the wharf and the bay,” Webb says.
It's a wharf people thought was ready for anything Mother Nature could bring its way.
“I would say it’s five to six times worse than Dorian and even possibly higher than that. We were ready for a Dorian type of a storm but we certainly weren’t ready for Fiona and I don’t know what the future holds,” says the general manager of the Pointe-Du-Chêne Harbour Authority, Victor Cormier.
The wharf is expected to reopen to the public Tuesday. Discussions are underway to plan for the next Fiona, or worse.
As for Parlee Beach, the cleanup is almost complete, but the rebuilding of the boardwalks and the restoration of the ecologically significant sand dunes is going to take some time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
New analysis of Beethoven's hair reveals possible cause of mysterious ailments, scientists say
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.