Stormy seas pound Trout River boardwalk

A winter storm crashed into a popular boardwalk and the retaining wall that protects it in a village inwestern Newfoundlandthis weekend.

Damage to the retaining wall was extensive enough to destroy most of the boardwalk's railing, Trout River Mayor Mildred Crocker said Monday.

"It was vicious. We couldn't get it near it. The seas were so high, it was just coming in over," Crocker told CBC News.

"From where I live, all of the railing along here, all of that is gone just about every bit of it," said Crocker, adding most of the retaining wall itself seems to be intact.

Trout River is nestled inside Gros Morne National Park. Its boardwalk built upon a retaining wall that protects the beach from stormy seas has been a popular draw with park visitors.

The retaining wall and boardwalk, which runs several hundred metres,have had encounters over the years with foul weather.

In January 2006, for instance, a storm surge washed away sections of the boardwalk.

"The boardwalk has really been a good tourist attraction for us," she said.

"[But] of course the retaining wall was put there in the beginning for protection from the ocean, because we do live right on the ocean here, and we do get high seas. We always get high seas."

The weekend storm began on Saturday and hit full strength on Sunday.

Crocker said the town should be able to fully assess the storm's damage later on Monday.

She said seas were high enough on Sunday to reach the roadway and some houses near the beach.