Photo Credit | Maurie MacDonald
A new fence installed at the Port Dover pier has sparked frustration, online debate, and now a petition calling for its removal. While the petition argues that the fencing blocks long-standing public access and is an unnecessary “eye sore,” Ward 6 Councillor Adam Veri is pushing back, saying misinformation is fueling community anger.
In a detailed social media post, Veri explained that the pier, wharf, and commercial harbour are managed by the Port Dover Harbour Authority (PDHA), which receives authority from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
He said the PDHA placed the fence as a safety measure to close the pier only during heavy icing, high winds, or high waves, stressing that it will otherwise remain open.
Veri noted that the PDHA is independent, does not need permission from Norfolk County, and has a federal mandate to prioritize safe commercial harbour operations.
The councillor also criticized online speculation, saying he has seen false claims that the fence is tied to federal retaliation over local road projects, suicide prevention measures, or future admission fees to access the pier.
“Not only is none of this real, some of the claims are so objectively absurd that I can’t understand how they gain traction in the first place,” Veri wrote.
He argued that closing the pier during dangerous conditions protects first responders, reduces preventable emergencies, and ultimately saves taxpayer dollars.
The petition, meanwhile, claims the fencing unfairly blocks residents and tourists from an important community space.
It argues the eastern pier has already been closed to the public for years despite federal funding that was meant to support both public and commercial use, and now the main pier faces the same restrictions.
Petition organizers describe the new iron fencing as “power hungry and controlling” and are calling on residents to support its removal.