Concrete slabs at Waverly Beach to be removed this month, says town
October 1, 2024 at 5:31 AM
A cleanup of trees in the Waverly Beach forest area took place last week, but there is a much bigger mess the Town of Fort Erie says will be getting attention soon.
A Halloween 2019 storm destroyed the lakeside boardwalk with damage estimated by local officials at that time to be more than $1 million.
The Town of Fort Erie says a pile of concrete slabs will be removed from Waverly Beach in October. Credit: Kris Dubé | Fort Erie RadioPieces of the former walkway, such as slabs of concrete and railings, lay on the ground still today, five years after the storm.
A massive pile of concrete pieces is cordoned off, along with giant mounds of sand.
Fort Erie Radio inquired with the town about the next steps in doing away with the concrete and sand, and was given an explanation from communications manager Kevin Beauchamp.
The sand piles are an accumulation of algae that is piled up over the course of each summer, he told Fort Erie Radio.
“In the fall it is returned to the beach,” he explained.
The concrete pieces from the trail damage in 2019 are scheduled to be removed from the site and recycled in October this year, said Beauchamp, noting that a tree cleanup, as well as a gravel trail, have been completed.
At the time of the 2019 storm, town officials said the municipality could be eligible for municipal disaster relief funding.
In 2021, the province announced more than $7 million for the town to cover costs related to damaged infrastructure caused by the 2019 storm, which would include the boardwalk.
Beauchamp said the town is undertaking a Waverly Park Plan that will determine the form and function of the replacement for the destroyed trail section.
The plan is expected to be complete in 2025, with design and construction taking place in 2025-26.
Fort Erie Radio attempted to contact Ward 2 Councillor Nick Dubanow on Monday, who represents the area Waverly Park sits in, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Move-in date for new Gilmore Lodge uncertain
Town hosting open house July 14 for zoning bylaw review
Ice boom installation delay sends heavy ice down Niagara River
About The Author
Kris Dubé
Kris is a veteran journalist who has worked in Niagara for close to 20 years. He is also a lifelong resident of Fort Erie, a place he plans to call home and raise his family for many more years.
Stay Informed