A recent history of the property at Point Deroche

In 2020, the property was purchased. The site was already developed, with a very old house perched at the shoreline. The vendor of the property was aware of the intention to redevelop the site. The vendor asked for, and was granted, permission for her to remove the old structure. Ultimately, she never did so, and the developer proceeded to demolish the structure as it was not salvageable.

The property and house were protected by an old seawall from the 1990s which required investigations. The old seawall was faced with timber treated with toxic creosote retaining a variety of concrete blocks that had been getting dislodged over time. It was an eyesore to beach visitors, dangerous to walk around depending on the tide, and unpleasant to sit by due to the carcinogenic off-gassing of the creosote fumes.

The research into this seawall - and how to replace it when it was concluded it was potentially unsafe - has involved extensive conversations with both provincial and federal government agencies, as well as coastal engineers, scientists knowledgeable in climate change, and other consultants. The consultant team’s objective was to ensure that their efforts would best protect the shoreline long term, and also improve the safety profile of the shoreline.

We will summarize by saying it was a much bigger undertaking than the developer ever imagined it would be.  A book could likely be written on this project, but the bottom line is the new rock-slope shore protection was approved after significant review by the relevant government authorities, and is already a much safer shoreline to walk by then what existed before. It was designed by professional coastal engineers. Importantly, the toestone is set several feet landward of the original structure, so beach walkers actually have more space to walk by then they did for the past ~30 years when the prior seawall loomed ominously over passersby. As part of the development plans, landscaping works will top-dress the upper half of the rockery with sand which will then be planted with native coastal plants, naturalizing the rockery as much as possible.

With respect to the project that is under development, the architect is from Nova Scotia and has done numerous sensitive projects in PEI and other maritime environments. The development will be a modern interpretation of the traditional saltbox architectural genre. We expect it to be a dignified addition to the coastline, respectful of island history. The developer has a great respect for architecture and its impact on the community. In terms of the positioning of the structure, it is in fact more than 30' setback from the location of the house that existed before, therefore not as close as the prior structure was to the beach.

In summary, the new rock slope shore protection is safer and easier to walk around then the old seawall, and the new development is set back further from the Gulf than what existed prior.

We care very much for PEI, and as stewards of this beautiful site, we wanted to take the time to provide the community with accurate information about its history and development plans. It is possible some folks may not know what existed before our development activity, and we understand the concerns and questions they rightly have.

Hopefully this website will demonstrate our commitment to being respectful and addressing some of the concerns and misinformation circulating within the community.