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.
For more P.E.I. news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.