Missing section of downtown boardwalk to be replaced

An abandoned section of Sault Ste. Marie's waterfront boardwalk, greatly missed by local river-walkers, is going to be restored.

The city has received a half-million-dollar grant from FedNor toward the estimated $700,000 cost of rebuilding the boardwalk along the east side of Roberta Bondar Marina.

That's the section that allows access to the waterfront behind Montana's and the Civic Centre.

It was scrapped a few years ago because of accessibility issues, Tom Vair, the city's deputy chief administrative officer for community development and enterprise services, tells SooToday.

"Before, we had something that was like a dock that floated on the water," Vair says.

"Now, we're going to be looking at doing something that is affixed to the land, that will be at the same height as the walkway on Foster Drive."

"Before, we had a ramp that went down and up and didn't meet accessibility standards. Now, we'll just have an at-grade connection along that east side of the marina."

"People will be able to pick up to the trail that runs along behind Montana's and behind the Civic Centre," Vair told us.

City Council agreed last week to retain engineering services to finish design work on the new boardwalk section, and to select a contractor for the work.

The city's $200,000 share of the project cost will be paid using uncommitted gas-tax funds.

"I'm happy to see that this link, which has been gone for a long time, is going back in," said Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Shoemaker.

"It really opens up that side of the waterfront."