Demolition day for old Boblo Dock

CTV News

03-07-2025

Demolition begins on the old Boblo Dock in Amherstburg, Ont. on July 3, 2025. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)
Demolition has officially begun on the old Boblo Dock in Amherstburg.
The dock along Front Road, which is owned by the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, became very dangerous and was unsafe for use. It was at risk of falling into the river.
It hasn't been used since 1993, but once served as a landing point for ferries carrying passengers to and from the Boblo Island Amusement Park.
Amherstburg has been calling on the government to tear it down since 2016, saying it posed a safety hazard for boaters.
Old Boblo Island dock
The former Boblo Island dock seen in Amherstburg, Ont. on June 5, 2025. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)
'We had to deal with the federal government and it took more than two years, three years to finally convince them to find the money, to take it down because it's unsafe,' said Mayor Michael Prue.
'Where we go from here, I think everything will be much better. Kids won't be in danger from climbing all over it. Boats won't run into it at night because it's not lit. If there was an ice jam, it could be flowed down the river, which wasn't safe.'
The dock is one of the last physical reminders of the amusement park, a destination loved by many for more than a century.