Fiona damage: Repairs underway as P.E.I. National Park prepares to reopen for 2023 season

The Prince Edward Island National Park will reopen to visitors for the 2023 season, but people will notice dramatic changes to the shoreline and infrastructure because of damage from post-tropical storm Fiona.

Parks Canada held an information session Wednesday to update the public on the work they have completed since the storm ravaged the island’s coastline in September 2022.

Campgrounds and beaches are damaged -- some beyond repair – which had some concerned that visitors wouldn’t be able to access them. But officials said Wednesday that rebuilding should be mostly completed by the season opening.

However, the work is considerable and there may be some delays.

“We lost all of the beach accesses,” said Tara McNally MacPhee, visitor experience manager. “All of the beach accesses along the north shore were either swept away entirely, or compromised to the point that they were rendered unsafe.”

Temporary accesses are being built for this year, and many are intended to be replaced with more climate-resilient builds afterwards.

Some areas will remain off limits to visitors.

Beach access is currently permitted at two locations since the September storm -- Covehead Lighthouse Beach and North Rustico Beach. According to Parks Canada, they will allow more access to beaches once they complete repairs. Many of the beaches will have new stairs and entrance points.

As for sand dunes, many are gone and it will take years for them to regrow.

“Really see kind of a substantial dune rebuild, but from our understanding, and from past experience, it feels like it’s possible,” said Louis Charron, a climate change specialist.

Staff have had time to deal with the emotional toll that came with seeing the damage, and are now being trained to help get visitors through that impact.

“Our visitors who are coming from away, who haven’t seen it post-Fiona, we recognize that there’s going to be an emotional impact in them when they see these changes,” said McNally MacPhee.

One of the biggest changes is to Robinsons Island Road and trail system.

Waves and storm surges eroded portions of the causeway to the island. As a result, the road will be closed to vehicles. Visitors looking to access the trail system to the park will have to park at Brackley Beach and hike or cycle to the island – a distance of approximately 3.5 kilometres.

Both the Stanhope and Cavendish Campgrounds and the national historic sites administered by Parks Canada will reopen for the 2023 season.

However, the damage is significant at the Cavendish Campground. Ten sites have been decommissioned and a washroom facility remains under construction.

“Parks Canada is looking forward to welcoming visitors back and would like to thank team members locally and nationally for the phenomenal efforts that have made this reopening possible,” reads a news release from the national agency.