TBM pushes forward with repairs to Thornbury Pier

Town of the Blue Mountains (TBM) staff members have been collaborating with federal agencies to ensure the Thornbury pier will be ready for use next summer.

“We do have a commitment from staff to ensure that, come the 2021 swimming season, that pier is completely functional, enhanced, and something that the municipality and the community is proud of again,” said CAO for TBM Shawn Everitt while presenting a CAO update to council in late September.

The pier is one of the area’s summer hotspots but remained closed this past season due to disrepair of the surface and COVID-19 safety concerns.

The pier repair project was outlined and approved in TBM’s 2020 town budget, which states that staff are looking into having the pier resurfaced with concrete to reduce the amount of annual maintenance and provide a smoother surface.

The project is budgeted at $412,200, with $35,000 coming from a federal grant and $377,200 from the TBM’s capital replacement reserve.

The pier is federally-owned property and as such TBM staff have been actively working with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to move the project forward.

In previous years, the pier surface had been covered with rubber mats in an attempt to protect and smooth the deteriorating concrete surface.

In preparation for the resurfacing, Ryan Gibbons, director of community services for TBM says the rubber mats have since been removed and were repurposed.

“The mats that previously surfaced the pier were deemed surplus and sold through GOVDEALS, an approved website for the sale of surplus government items,” Gibbons said.

In recent weeks, DFO engineers have provided TBM with the original pier drawings and recommended an engineer for the project that the DFO has worked with on other federally-owned piers throughout Ontario and Canada.

TBM staff have also co-ordinated an x-ray review of the pier’s concrete decking for rebar locations, as well as co-ordinating boreholes for inspection of sub-deck granular material.

The town has now begun working with the consulting engineer to determine whether the deck will have to be replaced or if it can be covered.

“I can confirm that staff have been in contact with the consulting engineer and are waiting for their report to determine if the full deck replacement is required or if a layover will be possible,” Gibbons said.

“At that point, communication will take place with the DFO Canada to ensure that the project aligns with their requirements. When drawings are at the 60 per cent complete stage, additional review by DFO Canada will be completed,” he explained.

If a full deck replacement is required, removal of the existing deck is expected to take place this fall.

Jennifer Golletz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter