Duane Hicks
The town will get the process going to see if it can get disaster funding to possibly build a new dock at the Point.
Speaking at Monday’s budget meeting, Fort Frances Fire Chief Frank Sheppard noted the government dock had incurred damage related to high water since the early 2000s.
Then this past June, the record water levels on Rainy Lake tore the dock apart—leaving the town no choice but to remove the majority of what was left.
Chief Sheppard said the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program has a process by which the town can bring back a municipal facility or structure lost due to a disaster and replace what was there.
“We know that there was some damage to it [prior to the flood],” he conceded. “However, it was repairable.
“The conditions that occurred after that flood made repair of the existing structure unrealistic.”
Chief Sheppard noted an ODRAP representative said the town should be putting forward a proposal as to what council wants to do, answering questions such as: Do they wish to replace the dock, at what cost, and what would it look like?
He added most of the dock has been removed, with the exception of a few pilings close to shore.
The town also has to decide what to do with the offshore cribbing.
“It really is up to you folks to decide the direction that the community logically should address this,” Chief Sheppard told council, adding if the town is looking to build another dock, it should leave the offshore cribbing in place.
Coun. John Albanese said he would like to see something replace the former dock—most likely a smaller structure than what used to be there.
But he will have to know how much it will cost the town first.
Coun. Albanese added that in the past, people used to love walking to the end the dock.
As well, the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship and Canada Customs used to use it, and he’d like to see a return to that.
“But if the cost is a burden to the taxpayers, I don’t see it,” he remarked.
Coun. Ken Perry said he doesn’t envision a dock the size as the one that was there.
But if money is available, the town should apply for grants and pursue a new dock—possibly a floating one, as he and Chief Sheppard both agreed that high water events will be more common in the future.
None of the councillors felt a new dock should be as big as the previous one, which had been used for loading barges back when it was built in 1935.
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown said the town has to determine how much the dock was worth prior to last year’s flooding, adding an engineering report from 2007 indicated it would cost $1.5 million to replace the dock at that time.
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig noted that at the very least, the town may get ODRAP funding to remove the dock in its entirety.
He added council also should consider how much the dock actually was being used in recent years, noting the focus of activity at the Point has shifted more to the easternmost beach area.
As such, perhaps more energies should be put in that direction instead.
McCaig said many people remember having good times at the Point but they’re often just that—memories.
He’d like to get more input from the public to gauge how important the dock is to them.
Council agreed it should at least investigate the cost and see how much funding might be available, but will not commit to a new dock yet.
“I am undecided,” said Coun. Wendy Brunetta. “I hear liability and then I hear, ‘It would be nice.’
“I have fond memories of the Points docks but I am still undecided,” she added.
