Providence Bay Dock
In August of 1900 a contract was drawn up to construct a wharf that was to be 316 feet long. The contract price for building the dock was estimated to be $7500 and the actual cost being recorded as just under $7000 in 1901.
In 1910 plans were made to build a warehouse at the dock, but was held back due to the possible construction of a new extension to the wharf.
In 1911 construction of wharf extension began. A terrible storm occurred which caused the first crib, which had been built, placed in position, and filled with stone, to settle. No further work was done and a petition was presented asking that work on this wharf be discontinued and that a new location be selected.
Construction soon once again resumed and the extended portion of the wharf was completed as was the new warehouse in 1912.
In 1914 a storm damaged a section of the Dock. A considerable portion of the Dock needed new planking and timber. In 1915-1916 repairs to the Dock were commenced on May 1 and was completed on July 24, 1915. The work consisted of the dredging of a line 168 ft. long of round close piling, along the westerly face of the wharf to protect the latter from heavy seas, and the deck of the wharf over a length of 160 ft. by a width of 20 ft. The total expenditure was $13,100.31.
In 1925-1926 work performed by day labour involved the stripping of the old deck and rotten timbers from the outer 300 ft. of the wharf, and re-laying with new timber and plank. A new plank runway, 4 ft. wide by 247 ft. long was laid along the easterly side of the inner portion to facilitate the trucking of merchandise from the freight shed to the outer portion of the wharf.
To facilitate the handling of automobiles etc. to and from boats, a trapezoidal-shaped structure was built continuous to the wharf in 1929-1930. It is 96 ft. long on the wharf side and 40 ft. long on the outer side, centered opposite the middle of the inner side, centered opposite the middle of the inner side, and 23.5 ft. distant. The work is of wooden pile work decked with plank on a level with the existing wharf. Round close piling enclosed the exposed sides and is secured to the wharf by anchor rods. The piling extends upward 5 ft. above the deck, making a protective parapet. The interior of the structure was filled with rubble stone. The total cost was $4,999.11.
1935-1936 Site: The Department of Marine, under date of May 29, 1935, stated that they considered Providence Bay to be a public harbour within the meaning of the B.N.A. Constructing an addition to the fishing pier built in 1935-1936. This addition 100 ft. long by 10 ft. wide is of square timber cribwork with a depth of 8 ft. to 10 ft. of water along each side and extends into the harbour in the same direction as the original pier. Total expenditures were $2,257.49. The wooden superstructure of the turning area was removed down to elevation 578.5 ft. above m.s.l. and replaced with concrete floor slab over stone fill. The timber piling was tied back to the wharf at 8 ft. intervals, gen. With 1 and a quarter in diameter round iron rods, equipped with turnbuckles. A 4.5 ft. parapet wall, 12 in. thick, of reinforced concrete supported by concrete buttresses, was built along the exposed side of the platform to conform to the remainder of the wharf. The area covered is trapezoidal in shape, 100 ft. long against the wharf, 48 ft. long on the exposed side, and 27.5 ft. wide.
In 1949-1950 the construction of an addition to the freight shed was carried out by day labour. The work consisted of building four rock filled timber crib foundations 8 ft. by 8 ft. and a frame addition to the freight shed 24 ft. by 30 ft. The new structure and the existing shed were given two coats of yellow paint with maroon trim. Minor repairs were made to existing freight shed.
In 1950-1951 John C. Bryan of Providence Bay wired the freight shed for electric lights for a cost of $123.00, wired to the outer end of wharf to the beacon light and to install 3 intermediate lights at the request of Aids to Navigation, Department of Transport for the cost of $364.90. Total expenditures were $487.90.
In 1966-1967 construction was done under contract with J.S. McDermid of Spring Bay, Ontario. A reinforced pre-cast slab ramp and an L-shaped crib and span small boat wharf 44 ft. by 4 ft. and 24 ft. by 6 ft was completed.
Click on the link below to view photographs of some of the many ships and tugs that have docked in Providence Bay.
The following photographs are of the Providence Bay Dock.
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