NR-HQ-01-44E

Leblanc announces federal investment of $2.4 Million for improvements at Small Craft Harbours in New Brunswick

May 23, 2001

SHEDIAC – Dominic LeBlanc, Member of Parliament for the constituency of Beauséjour-Petitcodiac, announced today on behalf of the Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, that the federal government will invest $2.4 million in harbour improvements at several fishing harbours in New Brunswick.

"The Government of Canada is committed to providing safe and viable harbours for its coastal communities," said Mr. LeBlanc. "Local fishers will greatly benefit from this investment in their harbours’ infrastructure."

At Cape Tormentine, a 57-metre section of wharf will be repaired and a new concrete deck installed to ensure that this section of wharf is in good condition.

Two projects are planned at Cap-Pelé. One will involve the construction of a 100-metre long rubblemound breakwater, which will provide wave protection from the north-east. Another project will repair the wharf that sustained extensive structural damage as a result of last year’s October storm.

Other projects related to last year’s storm will also be undertaken. The basin at Les Aboiteaux will be dredged to restore adequate water depths. As well, wharf repairs at Cap-Lumière and St-Edouard-de-Kent will be completed during the upcoming months.

Further work will be undertaken at Cap-Lumière to complete the breakwater repairs that began last year.

At Cap-des-Caissie, a new concrete deck will be installed on a 60-metre section of wharf that is in poor condition.

At Cormierville, various wharf repairs will be carried out in order to bring the wharf to a safer condition.

More work will be undertaken at Botsford (Murray Corner) this year. A new concrete deck will be installed on the outer end of the main wharf. With the completion of this work, the wharf will be restored to a safer condition.

Basin dredging will be undertaken at Chockpish to ensure safe navigating conditions for harbour users.

At Petit-Cap, the upland area will be upgraded in order to improve harbour operations.

A project at Robichaud will consist of extending the existing breakwater to reduce wave agitation in the harbour. In addition, dredging of the basin will be carried out to improve navigation.

At St. Thomas, various repairs will be undertaken to the slipway and ladders as well as some other minor wharf repairs that are required because of the October 2000 storm. Some limited basin dredging at the harbour entrance will also be carried out.

It is expected that all of these projects will begin this summer and be completed later this fall.

These projects will be undertaken by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Small Craft Harbours Program, in close collaboration with the Harbour Authorities which manage and operate these facilities for the benefit of local users. It is this close cooperation with clients that enables the federal government to continue to provide an operable system of harbours and facilities throughout Canada in support of commercial fisheries.