Fort, tower closed due to shoddy conditions

Fort St. Pierre and the Lookout Tower at Pither’s Point will be closed to the public indefinitely—and perhaps permanently—if the necessary repairs have not been made, according to a report by Community Services manager George Bell at Monday night’s council meeting.
The news came after a study was carried out by UMA Engineering Ltd., which cost the town $3,959, in the past month.
“Council closed the two sites down. The fort is rotting into the ground and the stairs at the tower aren’t up to code,” said Pam Hawley, curator at the Fort Frances Museum, which is responsible for tours at the sites (which also includes the “Hallett”).
She noted the status of whether the sites will be restored or not remains in limbo as the matter has been referred to a meeting of the short-term strategic planning committee.
But the engineering report, at least for Fort St. Pierre, was indeed grim.
“The log palisade, interior walkways, and interior buildings are beyond repair and should be demolished,” it said, adding, “The guard towers could be repaired and maintained as separate items by themselves.”
The cost to demolish the fort and stabilize and retain the guard towers was estimated at $15,000.
Likewise, the report said public access to the Lookout Tower should be limited to the main floor until the stairs to the second level can be modified to comply with code limitations.
Roof repairs, and a reconstruction of the stairs to be of a decreased slope and higher guardrails, are two more of the engineers’ recommendations.
Costs, which the consultants referred to as “prohibitively high,” amount to $49,500.
In the likelihood the two sites will not be open this summer, Hawley noted the museum still will be working to give tourists something to enjoy here.
For instance, the “Hallett” still will be open for tourists, but first will get a sandblasting for a new paint job. That tender was awarded to Mark Faragher for $13,000 at Monday night’s council meeting.
“And we’re still offering the museum as a tourist site,” remarked Hawley, noting summer students which normally man the three sites at Pither’s Point will remain busy at the Scott Street building.
“We’ll have our extended summer hours soon, and if anything, this promotes even more activities at the museum than normal,” she added.
The three sites at Pither’s Point normally open to the public in mid-June.
“It might get people to think about what kind of tourist attractions we want here,” added Hawley. “These have been the ones for a long time.”