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BELLEVILLE (ON) – The Honourable Lyle Vanclief, Member of Parliament for Prince Edward--Hastings, announced today on behalf of the Honourable Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, that the federal government will partner with the City of Belleville to rehabilitate the Belleville Harbour in preparation for the divestiture of the property to the City. The former federal commercial harbour property has been leased by the City for park and recreational use but development has been held up pending a resolution of environmental issues.
Mr. Vanclief noted that this is a good example of how the federal government responds to the needs of municipalities. "This project demonstrates the City of Belleville’s efforts on urban renewal and waterfront revitalization and the commitment of the federal government to fund the remediation of contaminated sites. Belleville Harbour has been identified as a priority for this funding."
The multi-year project will begin this spring with comprehensive public consultation to finalize the remediation design, followed by implementation of the project in phases, likely over a two or three year period. The announcement comes after almost a decade of soils, groundwater and other environmental studies on the harbour property, undertaken jointly by the City and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Belleville Harbour had been used for over fifty years as a commercial harbour mainly for the storage of coal and fuel products. Landfill sites were operated on the property for a number of years. These activities led to contamination of the property by petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals.
"Our waterfront is a community asset and this major project will help reconnect the citizens of Belleville with this valuable resource," said Mayor Mary-Anne Sills of the City of Belleville.
The project is being undertaken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Small Craft Harbours Program, in cooperation with the City of Belleville. Site development and engineering plans will be developed with public input and used for detailed costing. Implementation of remediation and environmental risk management measures are anticipated to cost several million dollars.
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