The Baird Harbour Concept Plan 2009

After 130 years of shipbuilding and industrial use, the municipality now owns all the water lots within the harbour.  The Town has commissioned over the past several years, three professional studies relating to the use of the Harbourlands.  The 1988 Dillon Master plan recommended a public marina with 260 slips (235 seasonal and 25 transient) expanding to 400 over a ten year period.

The most recent 2009 Baird Harbour concept plan recommended a more modest 180 slip marina to be developed in phases.  This 2009 plan was developed after many hours of meetings between Baird representatives and the Town’s Waterfront Harbourlands Advisory committee. 

In June 2009, the town solicited public input by holding a public Open House.  This is when the plan was hit by opposition from the canoe and rowing communities.  These user groups had thrived over the last decade using the open space of the undeveloped harbour.  They were organized and vocal in their opposition.  Other individuals who were at the Open House spoke in favour of the plan but nevertheless‘no further action was taken to implement the 2009 plan.’  The reports objective is clearly stated on page 1:

“The objective of this study was to take a proactive look at possible future scenarios for the harbour area and create a conceptual or notational plan that would assist the Town in developing an action plan for moving forward”.

The photo below is an aerial photograph showing Town owned harbour area properties. 

(red outline)

Aerial_Town_ Owned2015

 The Baird Concept Plan In The .PDF Is Readable Below