Historic wharf is collapsing into the Bay of Fundy

An historic wharf in Riverside-Albert is crumbling into the Bay of Fundy after heavy rains last weekend caused the structure to start falling apart.

Mary Majka, the president of the Albert County Heritage Trust, said the wharf had already started sagging before the storm. But she said the pounding rains that swept through the region last weekend caused even more damage to the structure.

Majka said the situation is getting dire for the wharf, which is important to the community.

'Right now we have a disaster here, the wharf is starting to crumble and this is now endangering the ship that we built.'— Mary Majka, Albert County Heritage Trust

"I am looking now for help, because otherwise a lot of history will be again lost, if that wharf is not repaired," she said.

The Shipyard Heritage Park was built in 2006 to serve as a monument to the southern community's shipbuilding past. The park has a restored lighthouse, a nearly full-scale replica ship and the wharf.

Majka said thousands of tourists visit the park every year and something must be done to fix the structure.

She said she's turned to a number of government agencies for funds to restore the wharf, but remains empty handed.

"Right now we have a disaster here, the wharf is starting to crumble and this is now endangering the ship that we built, that replica," Majka said.

"It's dangerous also for people to walk around, which they used to do ... it's very bad."

David Christie, a Shipyard Heritage Park volunteer, said he first noticed the wharf collapse on Monday.

"Right now it's dangerous, if you went to the edge of that grass, a little bit of weight on a day when there's been some rain and you could easily have another chunk fall down," he said.

Christie said summer tourist season hasn't started yet, but something will have to be done to the wharf before visitors begin coming to the park.