Yacht Club Ready for Pugwash Harbour Improvement
A grant from the Municipality of Cumberland clears the way for major improvements at the Pugwash Yacht Club.
County Council approved a 58 thousand dollar grant to the not-for-profit group, tonight, that will allow harbour dredging followed by repairs and additions to the club’s floating docks.
The yacht club had previously secured a funding commitment from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), but the federal contribution was conditional on the county’s participation.
The commodore of the club, Debbie Cameron, made a presentation to council last week, pressing the need for some early consideration as the group feared a delay to the next fiscal year might result in losing the ACOA support.
The Director of Economic Development said the yacht club proposal fits within an already approved plan for Pugwash. Michelle Byers said, “Their project does align very strategically with our Pugwash waterfront development masterplan,” a plan the county intended to pursue within the next two years.
A study by county staff suggested investing right away would make sense and the county portion would be covered by reserves set aside in their five year capital investment program.
The project is estimated at 250 thousand with the yacht club paying 25,000, the county offering 58,000, and ACOA funding the balance.
The dredging part of the project is critical, as silt has been building up along the shore and filling the area around the club’s docks. It has become an issue for vessels at low tide, especially sail boats with their deeper keels.
New docks will allow the club to expand to serve other vessels. All available berths have been full in recent years, with only one spot reserved for visiting boats.
The installation of the Pugwash water system allowed the club to offer water and the expansion plan calls for fuel services, giving the facility the needed services for recreational boaters.
Officials hope the dredging can be completed this fall with dock repairs and new installations ready for next spring.
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