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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Plan Unveiled To Open Up Partridge Island

Saint John Waterfront Development rolling out a 5.1 million dollar plan to restore Partridge Island so people can get there and wander about. 

General Manager Kent McIntyre tells CHSJ News one of the big challenges is to provide access to the island along the breakwater. 

The breakwater would be levelled and covered over with a walkway able to withstand the weight of a half ton truck. McIntyre says people could either walk from the mainland to the island or be taken there in golf cart type buggies.
 
Once on the island, McIntyre says there would be a series of trails for people to use with interpretive signs detailing what was there at one time.

 Most of the buildings are gone but there are still some military installations still standing which could be restored. 

A local fundraising campaign will be launched and he estimates from 100 to 150 thousand people would visit the island each year.

McIntyre concedes there would have to be some funding help from government and right now budgets are too tight.