Spurrell’s Road Construction to Resume

We would like to provide an update to the emergency repairs being done in the Spurrell’s Road area. Over the course of the last week, there have been some concerns raised over the impact that the project has had on a portion of St. Philip’s Beach. We temporarily stopped construction to review the project and consider these concerns. We would like to thank all those who have provided their input over this time and commit to keeping them engaged in the long term plans for the area. This section of St. Philip’s Beach is an integral part of our heritage and environment. We wish to maintain this community asset and improve on it now and in the future.

As a result of Snowmageddon, there was significant damage done to the area, including Spurrell’s Road, the beach itself and the Marina. Our sewer main runs under Spurrell’s Road and it is vitally important that we secure the embankment between the road and the beach as soon as possible, due to the coastal erosion. Damage to the sewer main could cause significant environmental impact to the area if not reinforced. We have received emergency funds from all levels of government to complete this work.

Although it was always our intent that the beach would be restored, we understand that there was a lack of communication to residents that explained this outcome. As a result of the critical need to reinforce our sewer main, we will be resuming the project.  However, we would like to confirm our commitments of the project and highlight additional changes based on the advice and input we have received:

1. The vast majority of St. Philip’s Beach will be restored to its state before the storm. This includes every effort to leave historical beach rocks on the beach and use new and previous armour stone to form the embankment.
2. The construction area on the beach will be minimized as much as possible to complete the project. However, you will still see temporary rocks and machinery on the beach itself prior to reinstatement.
3. In the spring we will re-evaluate the entire area with our community partners to determine potential steps to enhance and improve the area and the beach.
4. We have engaged the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to visit the site to provide further insight and advice. They have provided a permit, however, we wish to have enhanced collaboration.
5. We will engage with the Harbour Authority and ensure that that Town and our community partners are involved with any plans they have with fixing the piers that were damaged in the storm.
6. We understand that we never communicated this project clearly to residents and community groups. We are reviewing our communications protocols for major projects to ensure that more information can be shared prior to projects such as this one.

We appreciate the feedback we have received and look forward to seeing the beach continue to be a vibrant part of our culture and community.