The capital city is going to take some time to digest the feedback from residents about the slipway in Quidi Vidi Village.
The wooden structure has been shut down for about a year due to safety concerns.
However, news that the city was looking to consult residents about what to do next was met with concerns from residents that the slipway would not be replaced.
Ward councilor Ophelia Ravencroft says pretty much all of the feedback received, which was recently released in a “What We Heard” document, focuses of the need to maintain a slipway at the location, with the preference being for something wooden—similar to what is there now.
She says there is a view that the slipway is a “visual indicator of the fishing village and its history,” as well as a “historic landmark for tourists and photographers.” Ravencroft says the structure is well used for boat-launching and things of that nature. Residents also feel that development decisions over the years have “eroded” their sense of community and are frustrated with the potential loss of the slipway.
Ravencroft reveals that the cost of replacing the structure would be over half a million dollars, not including the cost of pulling away the existing one.
No decisions have been made on what the city plans to do, and the “what We Heard” document will be used in the decision making process moving forward.
She says staff will make recommendations to council at a future date.