Grand Lake campground could be 'total loss'

Elaine Hoyt must decide whether to abandon or rebuild Grand Lake Park, which she bought with her late husband three years ago.

As it did to many properties along the St. John River system, the spring flood destroyed much of the infrastructure at the campground, which is perhaps better known as Princess Park, the name it held for decades.

Now Hoyt awaits an assessment of damage at the park about 60 kilometres east of Fredericton.

"This could be the tale between whether or not the business is able to continue at all or not," Hoyt said. "I have sunk lot of money into this campground in the past three years, putting all this infrastructure in … I just don't have the personal wealth."

She and her late husband, Fred, took over the provincial park from the government. The campground has more than 50 sites for RVs and tents.

Hoyt said the couple invested a lot of money into rebuilding the park, adding electrical connections, sewer infrastructure and a cottage. She was hoping this year would be the first year she turned a profit.

"All of the new sewer infrastructure here on the waterfront has been impacted. The pipes and stuff are all full of mud and rocks and debris. Not sure yet if it's something that I'm going to be able to flush out."

"The little cottage is pretty much a write-off. The front wall is heavily damaged in the cottage, the window is gone. The walls are gone. All the interior walls have to be torn out and the insulation taken out."

The trees on the waterfront also stand with their roots exposed, and Hoyt said she may have to cut them down.

She said the assistance the province is providing "won't even touch" the damaged infrastructure she has to deal with. 

Geoffrey Downey, Emergency Measures Organization spokesperson, said the province's disaster financial assistance program provides assistance for damage and losses that "threaten the health and safety of individuals, municipalities and small businesses." 

He said the maximum assistance for structural repairs for small businesses is $500,000, which can cover repairs, cleaning and replacing "basic neccessities."

Hoyt said she won't know how much she gets until her business is assessed.

She has been getting calls from customers who have already paid deposits and camping fees for this year. She said she doesn't really know what to tell them.

"There's a lot of concern … I'm hopeful that we'll be able to do something in the next few weeks," she said.

"It's beyond frustrating. This is a business. This is my only livelihood, so if I had lost all the business because this place has been destroyed from flood damage then it's a total loss of me."