On Friday, an air of jubilation filled Rissers Beach Provincial Park as the northern campground once again welcomed eager campers. Most of the park, marred by the aftermath of post-tropical storm Lee, however, remains under repair and off-limits for the season.
A convoy of trailers streamed into North Rissers in the afternoon heat, their occupants relieved at returning to the familiar stomping grounds. “The wait’s been long, since the Hurricane. We had to cancel at least three or four nights,” shared Gary Apt, a regular by the ocean, an area still under closure.
Meanwhile, the seaside locales and beach, bear narratives vastly different from the buoyant North Rissers. Courtesy of storm surge, the region identified as Little Rissers found itself submerged and its sandy arena was unabashedly unhinged, making its homemove to the once grassy parking lot.
Apologising trees were uprooted, belittling the park’s infrastructure, according to Rob Paddock, the man charged with overseeing proceedings from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables. Boardwalks and beach sustained damage, forming abrupt precipices of 20-30 centimetres in certain areas due to the sand’s capricious relocation.
Exhaustive efforts throughout the week culminated in clearing fallen trees, assessing extent of damage, and bringing North Rissers back to operational status for the weekend. However, Little Rissers, the popular day-use beach, and trails shall remain off the agenda during this season, tapering off at the Thanksgiving weekend.
Reservations till the end of the season stand cancelled, with refunds en route to campers. The anticipated reopening of the broader park remains shrouded in uncertainty as frustration mounts among park-goers. Meanwhile, Paddock is urging for public patience and space to enable a thorough cleanup and restoration.
The hopeful voice of experienced camper Wain Fraser echoed the sentiments of many, as he said, “Hopefully they can get it repaired soon. Next year anyway for sure.” Speaking of anticipation, it’s an emotion we also experience here at West Island Blog as we reveal our curated list of the top online casinos for this month. If the wilderness calls for adventure, so do the virtual tables and slots of these licensed outlets. From the sensation of camping to the adrenaline rush of online gaming, we’ve got you covered.
