More shoreline protection for 2 western P.E.I. parks coming this winter

Work will be underway this winter to help protect two popular provincial parks in western Prince Edward Island. 

The province is adding two offshore reefs at Cedar Dunes Provincial Park near the West Point lighthouse. Meanwhile, shoreline protections installed at Jacques Cartier Provincial Park almost a decade ago will need to be upgraded. 

Brian Thompson, director of land and environment with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said three offshore reefs placed off Cedar Dunes in early 2022 were critical to protecting the coastline during post-tropical storm Fiona 14 months ago. 

"Those offshore reefs are making an incredible difference at West Point-Cedar Dunes," he said. "If our reefs were not in place at that time, we estimate that about 50 per cent of the Cedar Dunes campground would have been seriously impacted, if not lost."  

The province secured funding for the offshore reefs at Cedar Dunes in 2021. 

Thompson estimates the work to install the next two reefs this winter will cost around $1 million — spending he said is worthwhile to protect the valuable infrastructure along the shoreline. 

"The project and our work is all about using a nature-based approach to restore and maintain the sand beach and the dune system, that in turn protects the valuable infrastructure located on the landward side of that dune system," he said.  

At Jacques Cartier northeast of Alberton, the department used stone left over from the Trans-Canada Highway realignment through Bonshaw to fortify the park's vulnerable shoreline in 2014. 

Following storm surge damage to the south end of the park during Fiona, the department will use more of that stone to reinforce the eroded shoreline. 

Thompson estimated 12 of the park's 96 campsites would be lost and a kilometre of shoreline would be badly eroded if another Fiona-strength storm were to strike the area. 

The month-long shore restoration at Jacques Cartier is estimated to cost around $250,000. It should be completed early in the new year. 

While shoreline work can be contentious on P.E.I., Thompson said the provincial government has to apply for numerous environmental protection permits, just like any landowner. 

"We're essentially like any developer; we need to ensure we come up with a project that's logical and has minimal impact, if any, on adjacent property owners," he said. "We're protecting infrastructure that is a part of the province… that has value to all Islanders."