It could be some time before the Port Dalhousie piers are open once more.
St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik says he has been working with St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle to show the federal government that the piers are a priority.
"We're looking to see if there's a signal there that the funds are going to be put aside...A woman came up to me at the (Lincoln Fabrics building) open house and she said, 'You know Mr. Mayor, the piers aren't just about tourism, the piers aren't just about having them open so people at Lakeside Park can walk out to the piers, for me it's a mental health issue, and being able to walk though piers helps to clear my mind.'"
Sendzik says he has carried that message to Ottawa.
The Mayor says the city has also put $500,000 into restoration after the flooding in Lakeside Park caused erosion along the shoreline.