Upgrades coming for Pointe-du-Chêne Wharf in New Brunswick to better protect it from extreme weather

The Pointe-du-Chêne Wharf in Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., is getting an upgrade to protect it from extreme weather.

The province says the upgrades will help shield the wharf from the type of damage caused by Tropical Storm Fiona, which hit the wharf hard on Sept. 24, 2022, causing around $3 million in damages.

“We are responding to the impact of climate change by investing in projects like the upgrades to the Pointe-du-Chêne harbour infrastructure,” said Indigenous Affairs Minister Réjean Savoie, who is also minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation.

“This investment will help new businesses locate on the wharf and protect existing businesses during storm events, which will have a positive economic spinoff for both the region and the province.”

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The project includes improving the wharf access, walking paths and parking areas, as well as repairing damage to the deck and buildings.

Restoration of the breakwater and shoreline will also continue this winter to be ready for next summer’s tourism season.

“The path forward was not always easy to find in the wake of hurricane Fiona, but the individuals, businesses and communities that rely on the wharf have worked tirelessly to recover and become more resilient,” said federal Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

Dominic LeBlanc, federal minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, makes an announcement in Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., on Aug. 29, 2024.

The provincial and federal governments are helping with costs, with nearly $10 million going towards the project.

“The establishment of the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Program by the Government of Canada was a godsend for the harbour authority,” said Pointe-du-Chêne Harbour Authority president Kim Murray-Atkinson.

“The damages incurred by the harbour authority property were extensive and it is questionable that we could have opened the wharf to the visiting public and various stakeholders for the 2023 season. The Fiona program allowed the harbour authority to substantially improve the resilience of the wharf infrastructure. This will enable the said infrastructure to better withstand the impacts of future major storms.”

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.