Based on public safety concerns identified on June 27th of this year by CBCL Consulting Engineers, and further to a Heritage Permit received from the Government of New Brunswick, the ornamental fencing, balustrades, and posts of the Officers’ Square fence along Queen Street will be removed in the coming days.
New safety fencing will be installed along the Queen Street sidewalk to protect the public from the significant grade difference between the Queen Street sidewalk and Officers' Square. Crowd control fencing will also continue to be in place in the Square to keep people away from the remaining retaining wall.
“The fence sits on top of the stone wall, but in several places the mortar has dissolved and the fence is no longer supported by the wall. It’s unstable,” said Sean Lee, Assistant Director of Engineering and Operations. “In fact, the CBCL report shows the condition is worse than we had previously thought. As professional engineers, we are obligated by professional practice to follow the instructions and remove the public hazard. The decision isn’t connected to the Officers’ Square project. We’d be doing this whether or not there was a plan for the Square."
As per the Provincial Heritage Permit, the City has documented the existing fence and has received approval from the Province of New Brunswick to undertake the work. During decommissioning, the fence and stone will be removed and stored in a secure area location for potential future use.
Removal is to ensure the fence does not topple over and injure anyone, particularly during large upcoming events like the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.
“We can’t have thousands of people in the Square during events and risk people getting hurt,” said Lee.