PORT HAWKESBURY: An undeveloped part of Port Hawkesbury’s waterfront is about to receive some attention.
Port Hawkesbury Town Council decided at the April 6 regular monthly meeting that it will remove boulders in Sunset Park and share development plans for the area among various advisory committees.
Town Councillor Jason Aucoin said he wants council to come up with cleaner, nicer ways of keeping traffic from the green area.
“We want to beautify our waterfront, we want to make welcoming and attractive, and have people utilize the waterfront,” he told council. “It’s no longer called ‘Boulder Park’ thankfully.”
After Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton noted that this can be discussed with the waterfront development advisory committee, Town Councillor Mark MacIver said there are plans to stop people from parking on the grass.
“I did suggest once that provincial parks use six-by-six rails. It looks pretty nice but it would be nice to have a cost on it before we go forth with something like that. Some landscaping with particular plants would help deter from running into the grass area,” he said.
His council colleague, Hughie MacDougall. noted there are concerns drivers are “tearing up” parts of Sunset Park, and this is an item on the waterfront development committee’s agenda.
“I know it might be costly but we have to do something to spruce it up, and try to keep people out that are going to tear it up,” he told council.
Deputy Warden Blaine MacQuarrie supports removing the boulders, but not before an alternative design has been approved, which will also be discussed by the waterfront committee.
Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton said because there is overlap, the waterfront committee could work on this with the parks and recreation, as well as the accessibility committees.
“We certainly want to create a wonderful Green Space there that invites people to get out of their vehicles and engage in some active transportation, or perhaps sit on a bench, or a chair, and enjoy the beautiful scenery,” she noted. “We certainly don’t want a reoccurrence of the original issue which was overnight camping occurring on that site.”
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Terry Doyle explained that the design is complete, and it has been reviewed by the waterfront committee.
“There’s a lot going to be going on that little piece of property,” the CAO added. “There’s also a main route for an active transportation lane that’s going to go through there. All of that stuff has to be coordinated, there’s been some really good ideas come forward as to how we do those attractively. As soon as we can remove the large rocks, I think everybody would appreciate that but I think we have to do that in a way that we’re really going to improve that property. That’s going to come very shortly with all those things happening at the same time.”