Iconic New Brunswick wharf welcomes summer visitors

It was a bit too chilly to make the leap into the ocean Tuesday, but the wharf jumpers in Point-du-Chene, N.B., will be back soon.

Close to 300,000 visitors from across Canada and the United States came to the wharf annually before the pandemic, and the hope is the ease in COVID-19 restrictions means they’ll come back.

Pointe-du-Chene wharf general manager Victor Cormier says it's the place to be in the summer.

"It's the place to meet people. A lot of acquaintances they haven’t seen in 30 or 40 years are on vacation here. They’re at Parlee Beach or they’re visiting other parts of Atlantic Canada," says Cormier.

He says there's a buzz on the wharf right now and it will get busier at the end of June when the school year ends.

Restaurant owner Rob Taylor says the pandemic was hard on businesses on the wharf, including his, but he’s expecting big things this summer.

"The cottages are full, the hotels are full. There’s a lot of energy, there’s a lot of new residents in Shediac and Pointe-du-Chene. People are very optimistic about it. The wharf has never been in better shape. It got a multi-million dollar renovation just before the pandemic that people haven’t seen yet," said Taylor.

Over $4 million in repairs and improvements have been made by the federal and provincial governments to the wharf since 2018 in hopes of preserving the tourist destination.

Eleanor Stenroos was visiting from Calagary and called the wharf a unique place.

"It's got a holiday feel to it. You feel like you are somewhere outside Canada and outside New Brunswick," said Stenroos. "It feels very festive, like every day is Saturday.”