Mispec Beach gets second chance

Right now, you can't actually access Mispec Beach in Saint John, unless you scale a set of broken stairs or slide down a crumbling footpath, but that is likely to change by the end of the summer.

On Monday night, city council approved the first phase of a two phase plan to repair and fortify the beach.

High tides and a storm surge in early April destroyed much of the infrastructure built just three years earlier with a $270,000 investment from the City of Saint John.

It seemed like the city was ready to give up on the park, with engineers suggesting the park be closed for the season due to safety concerns, but Tim O'Reilly, Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Public Spaces, said feedback from the community made council reconsider.

"I guess the biggest thing was just the feedback from the community generally about the desire to keep that beach functional longer," O'Reilly said, "so that was the impetus to try to find different solutions."

Phase one of the repairs will involve building a new staircase on the side of the hill, where the footpath used to be. It will be drilled deep into the ground, at least three and a half metres deep.

Also, the structural mesh of the gabions, in other words, the mesh and rock seawall, would be patched up.

Open a bit longer

O'Reilly says this is not a long-term solution, but it will keep the park open a bit longer for the community.

"We're not adding any structural integrity to what's already there now," he said. "So certainly if we end up getting a similar event like we had in April, there's strong likelihood that there will be further damage to the beach."

The project will cost roughly $40,000 and $15,000 of that amount will be donated by Canaport LNG.

Two community groups, the Saint John Citizens Coalition and the Red Head Community Association have committed to fundraising a portion as well.

The rest of the funds will come from the 2016 Parks Capital Renewal Fund, taking the remainder of the funds allocated for previous projects that came in under budget this year.

There was only one councillor who voted against the repairs during the council meeting. Donna Reardon said during the question process that continuing to fight mother nature is futile.

"I just don't think it's sustainable, whatever we put in, especially since we've had two big storms in the last little bit," she said. "So I guess for me, I don't think I can support it."

The city hopes to start work mid-July, and finish by mid-August. They recommend that people stay away during the construction phase as the park will be even more dangerous with ongoing construction.