Storm surges force 'revamp' of downtown Saint Andrews

Picturesque waterfront views draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to Saint Andrews every season. But its close proximity to the water is also the source of the town's biggest headache.

Severe storm surge events have worsened in recent years — and with wild weather comes mounting fears that the popular waterfront could be looking at serious damage.

One of the most at-risk areas is Market Square, the area at the corner of King and Water streets that houses numerous businesses and restaurants, a farmers market established in 1972, and the popular music festival Paddlefest.

"Although it's not immediately obvious from above, about a third of Market Square is actually built up on old wharfage," said Mayor Doug Naish.

"It's really susceptible these days to the effects of storm surges and climate change."

'Seaweed on the roofs'

Bad weather is no joke in Saint Andrews.

On Nov. 5, 2010, a storm that ripped apart a large sea wall, overran the town wharf and flooded the downtown with salt water.

"There was water and seaweed on the roofs of two-storey buildings," former Saint Andrews mayor Stan Choptiany told the legislature's select committee on climate change in 2016.

In spring 2016, another surge ravaged a popular waterfront campground and again overran the wharf.

With the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, the town has "spent the last four or five years studying what the effect of climate change and sea level change will be over the next 50 to 100 years," Naish said, "and Market Square has been identified as one of those very vulnerable places."

Choptiany told the committee on climate change that within nine years, every storm will put the wharf under water at high tide.

"And that's pretty hard to land a whale-watching boat when the wharf is under water."

Not going to be cheap

The town has asked landscape architect Jim Scott, who recently worked with the City of Moncton on plans to improve its downtown core, to lead discussions of how to fortify the waterfront against higher sea levels.

"We've put together a committee involving members of council, town staff members, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement Area, the St. Andrews Civic Trust to make sure we're cognizant of the heritage aspects of this, and even the tree committee to make sure that the vegetation is taken care of," Naish said.

Combating rising sea levels in the town could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, which would require assistance from the federal and provincial governments.

According to Naish, it's a necessary expense. While the town has only preliminary information about cost at this point, "it's not as shocking as what it might be," he said. "At the appropriate time in the planning, we'll be looking at other partners."

The new design concept the town is looking at, Naish said, isn't just going to protect the town from storm surges. It's also going to improve the area for its existing uses.

"It's really going to open up the square," Naish said, adding that the town hopes to squeeze an additional 18,000 feet of activity space out of the square with a bit of tinkering.

"At the same time we're looking for a long-term solution to shore up the seaside of Market Square," he said, "it's also a good time to revitalize the square and put it to more uses."