Federal government plans to block public access to popular Burlington canal piers
The federal government plans to block public access to the Burlington shipping canal piers over safety fears on the popular but wave-battered concrete walkways into Lake Ontario.
But politicians in cities on both sides of the canal are now lobbying to keep the piers open - and failing that, the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority might take them over.
The twin 321-metre long piers that usher ships into Hamilton Harbour have long been a magnet for walkers, cyclists and fishing fans who treat the canal as an extension of the public waterfront trail.
That access could end as early as March, however, when Transport Canada intends to fence off the piers to mitigate the possibility of personal injury" from icy conditions or storm-fueled waves, spokesperson Sau Sau Liu said.
It's not clear if a particular injury or incident sparked the sudden shutdown plan, but residents have complained in recent years about waves overtopping the piers during record high lake levels.
Transport Canada did not respond to questions about the structural integrity of the piers, but the federal government is already spending $26 million to rehabilitate old concrete piers in Port Dalhousie that were at risk of collapse.
For now, the federal government has added Danger, Do Not Enter" signs where the public waterfront trail meets the Burlington shipping canal, which also marks the municipal boundary with Hamilton.
Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said she is seeking a meeting with Transport Canada Minister Marc Garneau to try to find a different solution" for the piers, which form the eastern end of the city's planned $50-million waterfront park master plan along the lake.
She suggested temporary storm blockades or even a winter closure of the piers, rather than a wholesale shutdown. We would be bombarded with complaints if (a shutdown) happened," she said. Those piers are well-used and well-loved by people on both sides of the canal."
Hamilton Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins said he is also hoping for a reprieve.
The beach strip councillor said he would be willing to consider putting ward infrastructure cash toward minor maintenance or amenities" - think trash cans, benches or safety rails - if that would help deal with federal concerns.
Right now, he noted residents routinely ask the city to fix cracks in the concrete or sweep the Hamilton-side pier of grit and trash - something the municipality cannot do on a federally owned structure.
Those piers have been a very active people place for decades, probably even longer," Collins said. It's hard for me to understand what the sudden urgency is to close them after all this time."
Neither city wants to buy or take over full responsibility for the aging canal piers - an idea floated by the previous federal Conservative government in 2015.
But the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority has expressed an interest" in taking ownership of the canal as part of a public rejuvenation of the area of the harbour near the Burlington Lift Bridge, said spokesperson Larissa Fenn.
That discussion, part of the port's Fisherman's Pier visioning project, is in the very early stages," she said, and is unrelated to the government's decision to ban pedestrians from the shipping canal.
But the port authority recently sought public feedback on ideas to make the area around the canal a people place, including benches, shade structures and pier safety railings, but also more ambitious proposals like a full-scale events space" that could host food trucks or hotdog stands.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com