A petition to save the wooden slipway in Quidi Vidi Village made its way to the floor of St. John’s council’s regular meeting this week.
It comes after city staff determined the 40-year-old fixture has reached its end of life and is no longer safe to use.
The petition, with more than 800 signatures, was spearheaded by the local Save Our Slipway Committee and residents of Quidi Vidi Village. It opposes removal of the slipway, and states only its repair or replacement will do.
Councillor Ophelia Ravencroft presented and read from the petition, which notes locals consider the slipway a valuable, cultural tourist attraction, and still use it to launch and return from fishing trips.
“There is very little of our cultural history left in Quidi Vidi harbour. It has been stripped away piece by piece through the years and parts of it sold to private developers. Now is the time to act and save what little we have left before yet another piece of our history is ripped away from us,” said Ravencroft, quoting from the petition.
The city sought feedback from the public on the issue over the summer, asking how residents and visitors use the area and potential options that would maintain access to the water.