The project to refurbish the Lefaivre Marina is now complete.
On July 13, workers finished installing new cement wavebreakers at the marina, as well as a new pump-out system to keep the area clean. The wavebreakers will also serve as docks, and, in the future, will provide overnight parking for boaters traveling along the Ottawa River.
The $122,000 project first began in May, with plans for completion in time for the summer season. However, the project suffered multiple delays due to the severe flooding that occurred across the Eastern Ontario region in the spring.
Funding for the project came from multiple sources: $27,500 from a subvention through the Canada 150 project; $30,000 from the Lefaivre Lion’s Club; and the remaining $64,500 from the Township of Alfred and Plantagenet.
A new town centre
The marina improvements come as part of a larger project to transform the area around the marina into a full-fledged riverside park. Last year, the municipality bought the building and land of the former St-Joseph Elementary School with this intention in mind.
Alfred and Plantagenet director of Recreation, Ken St-Denis, says the township would like the park to function as a recreational centre for the town upon its completion.
“We want it to be a key point by the river where anyone can go to have a picnic or go boating or go cycling. We think it can be a centre-point for the village of Lefaivre.”
Earlier this month, the Alfred and Plantagenet township held the bulk of its Canada Day celebrations on the grounds surrounding the marina.
St-Denis says there is no precise timeline in place for the next phases of improvements, though he says the township does plan to apply for future subventions to help with funding.
