P.E.I. National Park readies for first summer after Fiona with $12M in funding from Ottawa

The federal government announced Friday it's investing close to $12 million to help rehabilitate sites at the P.E.I. National Park following post-tropical storm Fiona. 

Many areas of the park experienced damage from the wind and waves the storm hit the Island with last September. 

Crews have been busy doing cleanup, and there are currently a number of construction projects going on. 

That includes a buried revetment which would absorb the impact from waves at Dalvay Corner. 

Jason Lindsay, the asset manager for the park, said 10 metres of dune was just "wiped off the map" during Fiona. 

"We're recreating the dune system through this nature-based solution and that will serve to protect the the Gulf Shore Parkway," he said. 

"We're shoring up the Gulf Shore Parkway by replacing our riprap stone and then that's going to be capped with a dune and then we're going to re-veg that dune with marram grass ... This work is 20 tonnes of sand that's imported and that again in rock."

He said the sand will act as nourishment for the marram grass — although planting it can be tricky.

"Our resource conservation team, with assistance, will be replanting a lot of the marram grass. We do have some in stock and we will be transmitting from other areas."

Lindsay said the revetment has worked well at two other sites in P.E.I., Crowbush and Panmure Island.

Reopenings and permanent closures

There were also some updates Friday on when some sites will reopen. 

The Brackley Beach dune-crossing stairs will reopen in early June. Accessibility ramps at Cavendish Main and at Brackley Beach will reopen once work is completed around July. 

However, as the park has announced before, the causeway to Robinson's Island is permanently closed to vehicles, though people will still be able to walk or cycle to get there.

Flat Rock and Orby Head look-offs are permanently closed. And some waterside camping spaces at Cavendish campground are gone. 

"We lost about 16 sites here in Cavendish to our campground along our coastal loop," said Joel McKinnon, visitor's service coordinator.

He said while people will notice some changes, the park is happy to welcome visitors back this year. 

 "We are super excited, though, to kind of announce a new loop here in Cavendish to replace those sites," McKinnon said. "So there's kind of work ongoing with that too. But there's definitely going to be a little bit different of a look in some of our campgrounds for sure."

Parks Canada said it's critical for people stay off the dunes, as they are very fragile right now.