NR-HQ-01-72E

Georges Farrah Announces a $3.5 Million Federal Investment in Harbour Improvements in Gaspé Peninsula

July 11, 2001

GASPÉ – Georges Farrah, Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bonaventure – Gaspé – Îles-de-la-Madeleine – Pabok, announced today on behalf of the Honourable Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, a $3.5 million federal investment in harbour improvements and maintenance dredging projects at several fishing harbours in the Gaspé Peninsula.

"This investment demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide safe and functional facilities for the commercial fishers in Gaspé," said Mr. Farrah. "It will make a real difference to the coastal communities that rely on these harbours for their livelihood."

At Gascons (Chapados), the project consists of repairs to part of the west rip-rap situated at the entrance of the harbour, following damage during last October’s storm. The work will begin after the fishing season is completed in early fall.

At L’Anse à Brillant, the north wharf is in an advanced state of disrepair and will be rebuilt along a portion of approximately 40 metres. The repair work will ensure that this essential infrastructure is safe and operational for the local lobster fleet using the harbour. Work at this site will begin in late fall once the necessary environmental review and the preparation of plans and specifications are completed.

At Bonaventure, an emergency dredging operation to restore safe conditions at the entrance of the access channel leading to the fishers’ wharf at the river mouth was recently completed. The area inside the channel around the fishers’ wharf will be dredged as part of the second phase of the project in late August, once the salmon spawning-run is over. The channel system has not been dredged in approximately seven years.

At Paspébiac, reconstruction of the inner wharf, which began last fall, will be completed by mid-July. Users of the harbour will then have access to a safer and more operational facility to land their catch.

Another major harbour improvement project has just been completed at Rivière-au-Renard. Work at this site, which started in the fall of 2000, consisted of completely rebuilding the southern portion of the main wharf along a 110-metre section. This wharf plays a crucial role in ensuring that the basin, used by midshore fishers, is well protected.

The second phase of the project will consist of repairing the northern section of the main wharf, adding armour stone along the outside face of the structure, and extending it for approximately 70 metres. The pre-engineering work, technical studies and preparation of plans and specifications will begin this year and are scheduled for completion by 2003.

Maintenance dredging, as in past years, has been carried out or will begin in upcoming weeks at the fishing harbours of Cap-Chat, L’Anse-à-Beaufils, L’Anse-à-Brillant, Port-Daniel-Est, Saint-Godefroi and Tourelles. This work will ensure adequate depths in the basin and channels for fishing vessels and safe navigational conditions for fishers.

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