Glace Bay, Nova Scotia - Small craft harbours are the heart of many coastal communities, bringing people together in work and play, while supporting jobs in the fish and seafood industry for over 45,000 Canadians. As part of Budget 2024, $463.3 million over three years will be invested for the repair and maintenance of small craft harbours, including those damaged by Hurricane Fiona, starting in 2024-25. This is on top of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)'s annual budget of $90 million for these harbours.
As part of the Government of Canada's commitment to growing the economy to help everyone get ahead, today Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced a $74-million investment over three years to continue important work at 19 harbours in Nova Scotia. This investment will be used to reconstruct and repair wharfs, launchways and other critical harbour infrastructure, such as Glace Bay, where construction of a marginal wharf is expected to begin in 2026.
More than $11.3 million of this overall investment in Nova Scotia is earmarked for five harbours that sustained serious damage from Hurricane Fiona: Cape John, Ingonish (Macleods Point), Judique (Baxters Cove), Little Judique Ponds, and New Waterford.
The fishing industry is central to many coastal communities across Canada, and harvesters need small craft harbours to be safe and reliable. With climate change causing more extreme weather events, it is critical to invest in infrastructure that is more resilient, and above all else, safe for harbour users.
These investments support local economic development for generations to come, providing functional harbours for Canadians working in the fisheries, aquaculture, construction, and marine engineering sectors.
