Project Timeline and Frequently Asked Questions

Point Pelee National Park

Timeline

  • The observation tower at the Tip area originally opened to the public on August 27, 2020.
  • In 2020, delays in the Tip Tower opening were related to additional railing modifications to meet safety standards, landscaping work, as well as uncertainties and changing regulations due to COVID-19.
  • The Tip Tower was closed temporarily in spring 2021 in compliance with COVID-19 guidance and access continued to be restricted in line with pandemic guidance throughout the year.
    In early 2022, the Tip Tower was re-opened as COVID-19 measures continued to lift.
  • On May 10, 2022, staff noticed a possible issue in the guard rail system and communicated with the engineering firm responsible for the design. Project team members assessed the safety elements, based on Parks Canada project management guidelines, and optional temporary fixes available, prior to closing access. Additional staff were posted on-site until an engineer was able to come to the site for an in-person inspection.
  • A visual inspection was completed by the engineering firm on May 12, 2022. For precautionary purposes, Parks Canada made the difficult decision to close access to the Tip Tower out of an abundance of caution the following day on May 13. Another more thorough inspection of the railing was conducted in fall 2022, which confirmed the visual inspection’s advice.
  • In 2023, a third-party engineering assessment was initiated to validate concerns with the guard rail system. A full assessment of the entire tower structure was also completed at the same time. The final engineering report confirmed that the tower itself is structurally sound and, the issue is isolated to the guard rail system.
  • Design work for the railing replacement was completed through winter 2023-24, enabling a tendering process for the repairs.
  • Following design work and a tendering process, Parks Canada awarded a contract to Heritage Restoration Inc. for repairs to the guard railing system on May 3, 2024.
  • Fabrication work for guardrail has been progressing off site since May 2024. Please refer to project updates for most current information.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Parks Canada close the Tip Tower?

The safety of our visitors and staff is of the utmost importance to Parks Canada. In May 2022, a possible safety issue was identified on the Tip Tower, specifically with the guard rail system. Since that time, the project team has been working towards a solution to meet Parks Canada’s high standards in visitor safety. Parks Canada has now awarded a contract and repairs to the guard railing system are underway. The Tip area remains available for visitors to enjoy.

How much money is being spent to correct issues?

The original contract value for the Tip Tower construction was $1.182M. To date, Parks Canada has paid additional costs of $24K to inspect the tower and $151,000 for redesign and on-going consultation. The contract awarded on May 3, 2024 date was for $789,305.

What has been taking so long?

Parks Canada has been involved in legal discussions on this issue with relevant parties. As you can appreciate, this is a lengthy and complex process.

Why isn’t the tower fully accessible?

The 24 metre, metal observation tower has 144 steps to the top that are wide enough to allow for two-way traffic up and down the tower. As an alternative way for visitors to experience the same 360-degree view from the top of the tower, it will be outfitted with a remote camera and a monitor in a location that will be accessible to all users.

Unfortunately, when designing this experience, a variety of factors limited Parks Canada’s ability to build the observation tower to be fully accessible. These factors include the footprint available for the experience, funds available, proximity to adequate power sources, environmental impact of supporting powered components, and long-term maintenance costs of the experience. However, we understand that not everyone will be able to climb the tower and it was with this in mind that we decided to outfit the tower with a remote camera.

Were there any issues on the Tip Tower that could have impacted birds?

While following Canada’s robust framework for project proposals, appropriate measures were put in place to ensure the protection of birds, including reflective visibility decals on the Tip Tower glass railings. While issues with the guard rail system were identified, the protective measures for birds were not amongst them.

 

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