Letter to The Editor: How did the market wharf get here?

As a frequent visitor of the Saint Andrews Market Wharf and patron of Market Square, I find myself drawn into the highly contested debate of the Market Wharf project. It’s hard to believe a mayor dependent on a tourist driven economy, vocalizing in a town meeting those that don’t live in Saint Andrews aren’t financially invested, and therefore their opinion on the project has no weight, may be true, but their tourists dollars do.

How did the Market Wharf get here?  Let’s review the Council minutes the past five years for answers, which has led to more questions:

2020: Funding secured with 70 percent in government grants.  The Chief Administrative Officer confirms Market Square is a separate project from Market Wharf, with its own funding allocation. The then Deputy Mayor [Brad Henderson] suggests acquiring a design plan for Market Square to assist in decision making.

2021: Then Mayor [Doug Naish] noted an Environmental Impact Assessment was a condition of funding. Council decided on a concrete design for the Wharf and Market Square would have armour stone. No final design plan selected in order to proceed.

2022: Due to COVID-19, the engineering firm advised project estimates have increased 30 per cent.  The town council stated they couldn’t afford the extra $3M out of their budget for the project and wouldn’t burden the town’s future with such a debt load.  The Deputy Mayor and Council openly stated their preference to revamp and expand Market Square for the potential business opportunities it would present.  The town then approves an amendment to the Regional Development Corp. of New Brunswick to include the Market Square repairs based on climate change adaptation and repairs to Market Wharf pier with steel wrappings, seemingly now joining the two projects together.

2023: In September, the engineering firm presented Council five design options.The council expresses concern with the firm, and entertains the idea of obtaining a second engineering firm’s option at the cost of another $100,000, [but did not occur].

2024: Design finally approved, and it’s noted the grand expansion of Market Square will be asphalt. By the end of year, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Ducks Unlimited became the latest hurdle.

A lengthy summary, that could essentially be summed up by inaction and indecision from for the better part of six years moving forward with the “urgent” need to replace Market Wharf.

Viable options have seemingly been presented then turned down, either due to an unwillingness to lose access to the wharf for a season, or the project didn’t fit into the heritage feel for the town– which is a question in itself. Is Market Square designated as part of the heritage buildings?  The town promotes overwhelming support for the project based on approximately 5 per cent of the town participating in a vote.  One cannot help but wonder why it feels this project is suddenly being pushed so hard.  Is the driving force the desire to expand Market Square, where the only known plan is an asphalt design?  The CAO had been sounding the alarm on the deadline to use the approved funding for years, and now at the 11th hour, there’s a push to get the project underway.  The council states they will not proceed if the tenders come in over budget, which typically results in “unexpected” overruns that balloon project’s budget.

So I, like the residents of St. Andrews, awaits the outcome of this seven year ordeal, and how it will fit into Canada’s prettiest town.

— Shane Alexander