Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The federal government is pumping money into the waters of two Chatham-Kent harbours.
Money directed to Rondeau-Erieau — home to 25 commercial fishing vessels — will rehabilitate two areas of that harbour, according to a news release issued Monday by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Wheatley Harbour is also benefitting, according to the release, with dollars earmarked to encapsulate the east pier in steel, build a new concrete deck and dredge its entrance channel and sediment basin.
The harbour is home to nearly 60 commercial fishing boats.
“Southwestern Ontario’s coastal communities have always depended on their harbours, and they deserve the sustained support to keep thriving,” Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West, said in the news release.
“This funding is a meaningful investment in the people, livelihoods, and local economies that are the foundation of communities like Wheatley and Erieau.”
Permanent fix needed, fisheries advocate says
Boats running aground have been a problem at Wheatley Harbour for years, and fishers have been saying it’s a safety issue for well over a decade.
“This is the lifeblood for the local community,” Vito Figliomeni, executive director of the Ontario Commercial Fisheries’ Association.
“So it is incredibly important that this money reaches infrastructure to aid commercial fishers.”
Figliomeni told reporters at a news conference that the government has been spending millions on dredging exercises when a capital investment could fix the problem permanently.
WATCH | Wheatley’s harbour is in line for some upgrades:
Wheatley’s harbour is in line for some upgrades
Wheatley harbour is getting some upgrades from the federal government. The harbour, home to 59 commercial fishing vessels, will receive some of the $957 million Fisheries and Oceans Canada has designated for small craft harbours across Canada. But how much will Wheatley get? That’s not known quite yet, says the CBC’s Jason Viau.
Vald Demelo of the Wheatley Harbour Committee said the government needs to extend the pier.
“The east wall needs to go out two, three hundred feet,” Demelo said.
“That would shelter us a little bit better. We would avoid the continuous money spent on dredging and just make it a complete fix.”
How much the work will cost has yet to be determined because it has been put out for bids, government officials said.
As part of its spring economic update, the government is proposing to spend a total of $957.8 million over five years for the Small Craft Harbours Program.
“Repairs will be carried out using the latest climate projections, which will result in climate resistant infrastructure that meets the needs of the commercial fishing industry and community,” Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in the release.
The country’s commercial fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors support nearly 65,000 jobs, it said.