The MP for St. John’s East wants the fence atop Signal Hill to come down.
Comedian Rick Mercer alerted everyone to its presence yesterday and a firestorm of controversy has ensued. Signal Hill is not in Nick Whalen’s riding, but he is feeling the wrath from people who cannot believe that such a barrier would be constructed.
Half way up Signal Hill in St. John’s – @ParksCanada @ParksCanadaNL have built a fence designed to block the view. Welcome to NL nothing to see here. pic.twitter.com/f8xnHo3R4I
— Rick Mercer (@rickmercer) July 16, 2019
Parks Canada, which has jurisdiction over Signal Hill, is saying the wooden fence was erected for safety purposes.
MP Whalen says he has already been in contact with Parks Canada and Minister Catherine McKenna. He says she is reviewing the issue and will issue a news release soon.
Whalen got the message loud and clear while campaigning this morning. Three out of 10 doors he knocked on he would hear comments like “what’s with that crazy fence?
Whalen was surprised that the fenced was put up without any consultation. He says they had the best of intentions but probably should have followed the park management plan and done consultations.
Destination St. John’s describes Parks Canada as a good partner in their tourism efforts. Cathy Duke, the CEO, says putting up a fence such as this without any consultation or notification is out of character for the federal agency.
It puzzles her as to how a wooden fence would enhance the tourist experience. She expects to hear a lot of commentary from visitors to the province.