The Reversing Falls in Saint John attracts the adventurous and the curious, but the view on the road into the falls is a concern to the city.
“What [tourists] do is they drive by these eyesores and actually junk,” says city councillor Bill Farren. “It's not throwing a good image of the city whatsoever.”
Farren says the previous owner actually offered to sell the property to the city, but they declined. He says that’s when the current owner bought it.
The city has been at odds with the property owner since 2005 when a file was opened to log complaints under the Unsightly Premises and Dangerous Buildings bylaw.
Farren says the city has received complaints from locals and tourists alike. Some tourists, however, still don’t notice the property.
“I was looking forward to seeing down here,” says tourist Barbara Connolly. “So no, you didn't deter me and it didn't catch my eye.”
Regardless, the city has decided to take matters into its own hands and clean up the area.
“The city gets reimbursed from Fredericton and Fredericton takes that and puts it on the property tax for next year or find themselves delinquent of their taxes,” says Farren.
The city has put the job out to tender with hopes to have it completed before the end of the tourist season. Attempts to reach the property owner were unsuccessful.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis
