The Town of Amherstburg has been informed that dedicated funding has not been provided to clean-up and demolish the former Boblo Island dock.
Late last year, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans indicated funding for the full demolition was not able to be secured before the end of 2023 and would be sought as part of the budget process in 2024.
The federal budget was presented this past April, and the government informed the town at the end of May that "we did not receive dedicated funding to remove the dock this fiscal year; however, we plan to move forward to prepare for tending in order to assess if we can risk manage the cost of removal."
The DFO owns the dock on the Detroit River along Front Road South, which has fallen into a state of disrepair and is in danger of collapsing into the river.
Amherstburg Councillor Linden Crain says they've been informed that the DFO is looking to see if funds can be reallocated to cover the cost of the removal.
"We need to take action sooner than later because if this thing falls in the water and we are unable to control where it's going, we're talking about boaters being wiped out, people that are fishing. It creates so much of a headache and risk," he says.
"The longer we wait, the more expensive it's going to be to remove it. We're seeing that costs are going up for labour and supplies across the globe," he says. "Plus, if it falls in the water, I imagine it's going to be even more expensive to catch the debris as it floats down the Detroit River."
Crain says this should have been removed when it was first brought up.
"I don't think it's fair for the town to have to cover the cost. This is within the DFO's jurisdiction, the federal government, and they need to come to the table," he says.
Since 2016, the town has been asking the federal government to take action to remove the structure that once served ferry passenger service heading to and from the former Boblo Island amusement park.
