Feds say they’re spending nearly half a billion on small harbours
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The federal government says it’s earmarked nearly half a billion dollars for repairs and maintenance to small craft harbours to be spent over the next three years.
The $463.3 million is on top of the Fisheries Department’s annual budget of $90 million for the Small Craft Harbours program.
The dollars include current funding repairs and dredging at 42 harbours across the country, including eight in New Brunswick.
An additional two projects in the province were announced last week.
Mike Kelloway, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said on Monday that once the federal budget is adopted, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will work to identify the priorities of each region.
It will then announce the breakdown of the remaining dollars.
The new dollars top up funding allocated for harbours damaged by Hurricane Fiona.
A line by line breakdown of the federal budget shows an extra $29 million available in 2024-25, $32 million in 2025-26, and $38 million in 2026-27.
It’s on top of already-promised but unspent money.
The feds earmarked $1.3 billion to rebuild Atlantic Canada in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona now two years ago, with some of that money still to roll out, including dollars planned for wharves.
“This funding will make it possible to continue repair work that’s already underway, including more than 40 harbours that have been announced,” Kelloway said on Monday.
“It will also help identify new priorities.
“As a nation with the longest coastline in the world, Canada must invest in a resilient harbour infrastructure capable of meeting the climate issues of today, and tomorrow.”
New Brunswick wharves in Pigeon Hill, Kouchibouguac, Cap-de-Saint-Louis, Saint-Edouard-de-Kent, Côte-Sainte-Anne, Dupuis Corner, Sainte-Marie-Sur-Mer, and Richibucto Cape already have money earmarked for dredging this spring.
McEachern’s Point and Pointe-Sapin small craft harbours were added to that list last week.
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