Millions in funding for P.E.I. national park, Fiona recovery

A few early bird visitors were already taking in the views at the Prince Edward Island National Park in Cavendish, P.E.I, on Friday morning despite breezy winds, cool temperatures, and light rain.

The park is getting a boost from the federal government of $11.6 million to rebuild damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona.

“It’s a gem, and we need it,” said Heath MacDonald, Liberal MP for Malpeque. “We need it to get back to normal a quick as possible.”

That includes Dalvay, P.E.I., where a revetment, an artificial dune made from stone covered by sand, is being built where the old dune was swept away.

Revetment under construction in Dalvay, P.E.I.( Jack Morse/CTV Atlantic)

“You get some nice benefits of beach nourishment,” said Jason Lindsay, asset manager for Prince Edward Island Field Unit for Prince Edward Island National Park. “It’s a nature-based solution.”

When the revetment is done it’ll look like one that was recently finished just a short distance away. Native marram grass will be planted on top of both revetments to start rebuilding the lost ecosystem.

Repairs are still ongoing for tourist infrastructure too, like beach accesses and in the park’s campgrounds.

“We lost a lot of sites in the campground. There was a lot of downed trees. A lot of the shoreline was washed up,” said Nicolle Gallant, projects manager of the Prince Edward Island Field Unit for Prince Edward Island National Park.

Many downed trees won’t be replaced directly, but 4000 new ones will be planted this year as part of an ongoing effort that has put 65,000 trees in the ground since 2017.

“We can’t grow trees overnight, so it’s really understanding what species are most important to ensure our forests are resilient,” said Kim Gamble, Prince Edward Island National Park resource conservation manager.

The devastation is still clear, the Ocean view platform still lies dashed across the rocks by the storm, and some of the money will go to rebuild it.

Closed access at Brackley Beack, P.E.I. (Jack Morse/CTV Atlantic)

The Prince Edward Island National Park’s beach accesses have reopened, some of them are undergoing construction, the only exception to that is Brackley Beach, which is expected to open in time for the season.

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