Federal and provincial governments announce over $1.5M for shoreline protection

Over $1.6 million is being provided by the federal and provincial governments for new shore protection infrastructure at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, including West Point Lighthouse, according to a news release Thursday.

The federal government is contributing $700,000, with P.E.I. putting up $910,000.

"On the day after Dorian I was up here at the park and it was all under water and the wall was gone and the pavement was all crunched up," Robert Henderson, the MLA for O'Leary-Inverness, said in an interview. 

"Although the lighthouse was protected ... the rigours of nature are pretty tough to deal with sometimes."

Previous storms have caused the shoreline to erode, according to the release. The new project will help restore that shoreline and protect the environment in the future. 

"There had been great work done on the protection of the lighthouse in the previous year," said Ernie Hudson, P.E.I.'s minister of social development and housing. 

"But it also showed that with the types of storms that we're getting now it required more [work]."

'Keep that protected'

The plan includes two sandstone structures to protect the dunes from coastal erosion, the release said. 

One sandstone seawall extension will be built between the parking lot and waterline to prevent flooding of the park and damage to the lighthouse. Another sandstone structure will be built at the southern tip of the beach to stop sand from getting swept into the harbour. 

Five intertidal reefs will also help break the waves before reaching the shore to reduce the amount of shoreline being washed away. 

"The whole concept of that is to dissipate the energy of the waves," said Henderson

Construction on the project is expected to begin September.

According to the release, the updates will not only improve the ecosystem but will also keep the area safer for visitors and provide jobs.  

Henderson said the lighthouse is an economic driver in the area they must keep it safe.  

"The focal point will always be ... the West Point Lighthouse," he said. "So we need to keep that modern and we need to keep that protected." 

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