Erieau, Ontario — Communities across Canada are supported by small craft harbours that provide the commercial fishing industry with safe and accessible facilities. With approximately 44,000 Canadians employed in this sector, the Government of Canada is making investments to renew its network of small craft harbours and work with municipalities and other stakeholders to enhance local communities.
Member of Parliament for York South – Weston and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, on behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that the Government of Canada is investing over $2.76 million for infrastructure improvements at three Ontario small craft harbours in the communities of Rondeau (Erieau), Wheatley, and the Town of Lakeshore.
We are investing $1.66 million in the Rondeau (Erieau) Harbour, a large commercial fishing harbour on Lake Erie that is the homeport to dozens of local and transient commercial fishing vessels. The project will replace the existing timber piles with steel pipe piles of four jetties and replace the concrete decking on six jetties. The project was awarded to East Elgin Concrete Forming. Work started in the fall of 2018 and will be completed by March 2019.
Wheatley Harbour, the largest freshwater fishing harbour in the world and largest commercial fishing harbour in the Central and Arctic Region, will receive $244,000 in funding. This investment will rehabilitate a timber pile wall and a new asphalt deck, further preventing erosion damage to the newly rehabilitated east wall. The project was awarded to Goodreau Excavating and construction is expected to start in February 2019.
Another significant investment under Budget 2018 valued at $860,000 is directed towards the reconstruction project at the Small Craft Harbour Thames River facility. East Elgin Concrete Forming Limited will use the funding to rehabilitate sections of timber crib wall structures with new steel sheet pile walls, concrete capping, boat launch ramp repairs and a new asphalt parking lot. Construction is underway and will be completed by the end of May 2019. Once the repair work has been completed Small Craft Harbours will transfer ownership of the Thames River facility to the Town of Lakeshore.
Source : Government Of Canada