ST. CATHARINES, ON, Dec. 17 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is making investments to renew its network of small craft harbours and work with municipalities and other stakeholders where investments and divestitures can enhance local communities. The contract to repair the Port Dalhousie Piers has been awarded. Construction will soon begin, ensuring the piers will be enjoyed for generations to come.
The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that Bronte Construction of Oakville, Ontario, has been awarded a $26.3M contract to restore the piers. The company will begin mobilization work at the site today. Construction will start in early 2019, and be completed by March 2021. The Port Dalhousie piers will be divested to the City of St. Catharines once repairs are complete. A formal announcement at the site will occur in 2019.
Portions of the piers have been closed in the interest of public safety since 2015, when serious damage was discovered to the substructures of both the east and west piers. The repair work will allow pedestrian access and vessels to moor along the piers, restoring all of the previous functionality of the site. Rehabilitation activities include enclosing the existing wharves' timber support structure with new steel sheet piling and rock, as well as replacing the concrete decks.
Quotes
"We have been working diligently for the past three years to safely reopen the Port Dalhousie Piers. This investment will preserve a piece of Canada's history that is also of critical importance to the economy in Ontario and the Niagara region."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Our government is delivering on the promise to reopen the historic Port Dalhousie Piers! The piers play a vital role in our community and it is important that they are restored so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. I look forward to the next stage of the rehabilitation process beginning in early 2019.
Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines
Quick Facts
- The Government of Canada is investing $250 million over two years under Budget 2018 to renew its network of small craft harbours and is working with municipalities and other stakeholders to enhance local communities, economies and foster job creation.
- The mandate of the Small Craft Harbours Program is to keep harbours critical to the commercial fishing industry open and in good repair.
- The Small Craft Harbours Program also aims to transfer ownership and operation of recreational harbours to interested third parties who are best placed to operate them effectively and responsively to the needs of the local economy.
- Since 1995, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has successfully divested over 1,100 harbours across the country.
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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Central & Arctic Region
Jocelyn Lubczuk, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-548-7863, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]
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