News Release
Regent St. wharf gets $35,000 for improvements
March 3, 2010
The Regent Street Wharf is getting help to make electrical system upgrades expected to attract more boating traffic to the area.
Fredericton Tory MP Keith Ashfield, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced Monday that the federal government will provide $35,000 for the work.
Reid Shepherd, commodore of the Capital City Boat Club, which manages the wharf, said it's good news for the wharf. He said it's attracting an increasing number of recreational boaters from as far away as Delaware.
"We're seeing more American-flagged boats than ever before," he said.
Almost 300 boats stopped at the wharf from outside the region last year, Shepherd said.
But he said the operators of those crafts, which can be as long as 15 metres (50 feet), require the increased power supply.
The project will see new power receptacle towers installed on the wharf and a main underground service line connection from the transformer to the wharf. The power supply will be increased from 15 amps to 30 amps.
Shepherd said the power supply may not mean much to most.
"To the boating community this is a big issue," he said.
Dave Traboulsee, president of Downtown Fredericton Inc., said the infrastructure is important because it puts visitors within walking distance of the city's commercial, entertainment and hospitality sector.
"Many of the cruisers are visitors and some are coming from as far away as the United States," Traboulsee said.
Ashfield said the wharf is a valuable tourism asset.
"This is going to enhance the area's reputation as a tourism destination," he said.
The funding was provided through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Innovative Communities Fund.