Crumbling historic wharf on St. John River spurs group to action
Long after the days when steamboats plied the St. John River, some Kingston Peninsula residents are trying to save one of the many wharves where the riverboats picked up passengers.
Some might consider Whites Bluff wharf the best kept secret on the peninsula.
Found at the bottom off a dusty road off Route 845 in Long Reach, the wharf sprawls out into the St. John River.
"I learned how to swim there," said Alice Fudge, who grew up in Long Reach. "It's a local hotspot for, like I said, swimming, fishing, boating, and all kinds of water activities."
But the concrete wharf, built in the 1920s, has sustained abuse from the elements over the years, as rough weather slowly chipped away at it.
For people living in the area, the carefreeness of summer days spent jumping off the piers has shifted to concern about the wharf's future.
"Every year, the wharf deteriorates a little more and it's something that's on all of our minds," Fudge said.
Many residents have wondered how much longer Whites Bluff wharf can last. Weighing just as heavily on their minds is how much longer the deteriorating concrete will be a safe place to enjoy the river.
Restoration needed
Fudge said a group concerned about the wharf decided that 2017 was the year to save it. Cost estimates from local tradespeople have put the price tag for repairs to the concrete at about $25,000.
A lot of wharves along the St. John River were taken over by community groups when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans handed off ownership in 1998. Whites Bluff and 11 other wharves are owned by the St. John River Society, a non-profit group.
Rather than trying to persuade the government to help, Fudge said her group decided to hold special events to raise money for repairs.
"It's a community spot and it's loved by the community," she said. "So it's the people that are coming together to do what we can and raise the money and enjoy the wharf at the same time."
The first fundraising event is Wednesday, June 21, at 7 p.m. with yoga on the wharf. Fudge said there are plans to make this a regular occurrence leading up to the main event in July.
"We are holding a party on Whites wharf, a save the wharf party on July 22," she said.
There will be events for children and adults that day.
Saving it for future use
Fudge said her group knows the fundraising efforts will make the favourite gathering spot a much more public spot. But enduring potential crowds is a sacrifice supporters are willing to make to enjoy the wharf in the future.
"I think the whole point of this is to save the wharf from further deterioration," Fudge said.
Tracy Burke said she doesn't want to see the same thing happen to Whites Bluff wharf as happened to another wharf in the area when the cost of maintenance and liability insurance was too much to keep it open.
"There is actually no longer a cement structure there for a wharf, although it continues to be available for public access for boat put-ins and so on."
Each year, with the spring freshet and ice leaving the river, more damage is caused to the wharf, Burke said.
"I'm just afraid if we don't repair it and keep it safe for people to use, we may see it someday be closed."
