By Staff
December 1st, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The piers that line the canal leading from Lake Ontario into Hamilton Harbour may be gated in the very near future.
Transport Canada will use gates to close the popular Burlington shipping canal piers to pedestrians in December: both Hamilton and Burlington are putting up a fight.
A fleet of tall ships sailed through the canals in June of 2013. At least 1000 people were on hand to watch the passage.
The federal agency angered local residents last year by threatening to ban the public from the pair of 321-metre-long piers that usher ships into Hamilton Harbour and serve as popular walking paths into the lake. Public pressure and Advocacy from former MP Bob Bratina resulted in a closure “pause” last year to allow talks with Burlington and Hamilton.
Gates are in position – just waiting for someone to put the lock in place.
But residents watched nervously this month as three new swing gates were installed to block entrance to the piers from the waterfront trail. Transport Canada confirmed it will begin “restricting access” ahead of winter conditions, but added future recreational use is still up for negotiation.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger said Friday cities on both sides of the canal would consider taking responsibility for pier maintenance and controlling access in dangerous weather — if the federal government first pays to make the crumbling concrete safe.
That could cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to the low millions.
“We certainly expect that the federal government will make those investments,” said Eisenberger. “I imagine it’s not a small investment, but certainly not in the tens of millions of dollars, either.”
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