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Barrie waterfront trail closed as crews remove sediment buildup

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A significant sediment buildup in the Barrie Marina caused the City to begin dredging this week, forcing the closure of a stretch of the waterfront trail and boardwalk.

The section of trail and boardwalk from the Spirit Catcher to the Marina parking lot will be closed for roughly a month as crews work.

"We've been walking it all summer and the fall and noticed it, and we were thinking it's taking a long time to fix this," said Sergio DeCarlo as he strolled along the waterfront.

The City said the operation would allow it to maximize the marina's capability again.

"We can have the boats be able to use the boat slips, and we can actually have more function in the Kidd's Creek marina," said Rachel Graham, City of Barrie engineering project manager.

The marina is supposed to be around two metres deep, but sediment has collected and built up to the surface in the natural channel, making the dredging necessary.

"We noticed the boats were having a hard time," said DeCarlo.

The City said it would ensure all environmental regulations are followed throughout the process.

"It does impact fish passage, and there's about eight to 10 boat slips that were not able to be used this year," explained Graham.

Starting this week, pedestrians will have to use detours while the sediment is removed, but some avid walkers said it's a trade they'll gladly make.

"Let's get it cleaned up. We want to keep the water swimmable, and people getting fish out of the water want to be able to eat it," said Trish Sexton, a regular on the waterfront trail.

"There's a couple ways around here, so I mean, it's nice to walk by the water, but we've got good paths either way. As long as we respect each other with bikes and walking," added DeCarlo.

The sediment is naturally occurring sand and dirt that is picked up as water passes through the creek and deposits into the marina. The City has already implemented measures to prevent the waterfront from getting to this state again.

"We're hoping to try and prevent it as much as possible. There are a lot of upstream improvements that we're doing. There are ponds they're putting in. Creek improvements. Erosion protection improvements" assured Graham.

Barrie's waterfront trail and boardwalk are expected to reopen around the marina before Christmas. However, more dredging is slated to be done on Kidd's Creek in the new year.

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