BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

If he had his way, our local shipping and agricultural history would be prominent once again in Port Williams.

Historian Ken Bezanson has a vision for the village to regain control of the wharf and an associated office building to be used as an anchor for an “Old Port Market” concept. However, he fears an impending tax sale could place the future of the wharf in jeopardy.

Bezanson, of Port Williams, made a presentation to Kings County council’s committee of the whole (COTW) Tuesday, Feb. 19. He said the community had three small piers during the “Age of Sail”, circa. 1880: the Starritt wharf, Chase wharf and Borden wharf.

He said, as George A. Chase built his business empire in the 1920s, the Port Williams wharf became a reality with the help of J.L. Illsley, a Nova Scotian and federal Finance Minister.

Shipping apples from the community by steamship was made possible. The wharf was extended in 1930 to accommodate larger apple boats and the worldwide shipping of apples marked the beginning of Port Williams becoming known as the “Biggest Little Port in the World” during the 1930s and 1940s.

Bezanson said the Second World War brought an end to these glory days. Pulpwood and fertilizer took over and the last ship left the inland port in 1976, the Kings Star.

“Things started to deteriorate after that,” he said.

Restoration would give focus to the port

Bezanson said the wharf is integral to the vision of the community becoming an “Old Port Market”, as is the Shur-Gain office building built by Chase in 1935, a symbol of the “golden age” of Port Williams. He said the exterior of the building should be restored. It could be used as a group antique shop, an outlet for artisans who focus on the old way of doing things, a museum or office space.

“If you lose the office building, it’s part of the built heritage,” he said.

The feed towers should be removed and any new structures there should blend in with the character of the historic office building.

He said Port Williams is unique in that it’s not only an inland port, but also a tidal river port. Restoration of the wharf as a tourism attraction would give focus to the port and be a drawing card for visitors. Bezanson envisions farm markets, flea markets, boutiques and vendors breathing new life into the waterfront area.

He said pleasure boats could once again utilize the river to reconnect with Kingsport and Wolfville. He said these communities have revitalized their past through their wharves, providing focus to their communities and drawing new visitors. The same could happen in his community.

However, he said the wharf is up for tax sale. He said the community lost it once before and, if action isn’t taken, the village would lose control of a vital historic site.

He said the office building property is on the market as well. Maple Leaf owns it and the company is open to offers. He’s afraid its heritage value could be lost as well if an outside buyer purchases it.

“It’s going up for tax sale March 5. I see that as D-Day,” he said about the wharf. “We lost it once; here is our second chance.”

Urges county to purchase

Bezanson would like to see the county use available funding, such as from the Open Space Fund, to buy the wharf at the tax sale or from the present owners, Base Emporium Inc., and he would like to see the county procure the office building. Then he would like to see the area rezoned from Industrial to something more appropriate to the proposal.

“If it’s possible to use available funding to get both properties, you have your concept started,” he said. “People will rally around this cause and come together for this. It’s a new focus.”

Bezanson said he learned recently that the current owner of the wharf intends to pay the taxes, so Bezanson asked him for a price to purchase the structure. The owner hadn’t gotten back to Bezanson, but the asking price was once $20,000.

Chief Administrative Officer Brian Smith said council would meet and have information at hand well before the tax sale. “We want to take that urgency away,” he said.

Councillor Madonna Spinazola said Bezanson should become involved in the secondary planning strategy process for Port Williams, and the willingness to utilize open space funds for the project should be explored. Councillor Janet Newton, who represents Port Williams, said liabilities for the village would have to be explored.

Councillors approved a motion to have staff prepare a report on Bezanson’s proposal and to bring options back to council.

Following the presentation, Bezanson said he would be in favour of applying true democracy and having a plebiscite held in the community to determine the wishes of residents when it comes to future development in the area.