Prairie harbours net $3.5M in federal funds

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This article was published 07/08/2021 (1570 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than $3.5 million in funding for fisheries and harbours is on the way from Ottawa to help small coastal communities in Manitoba and the rest of the Prairies.

With roughly 45,000 Canadians employed in the sector, the federal government wants to renew investments towards infrastructure, such as safe access to waterways for the network of small craft harbours that allow the commercial fishing industry to thrive in the country.

Bernadette Jordan, minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said the financial support is part of the Liberal government’s nearly 700-page federal budget, presented at the House of Commons in April, which had set aside $300 million to be invested over two years for the industry.

It’s funding that comes on a cash basis — directly meant to address costs for repairing, renewing and replacing harbours and fishing vessels — currently earmarked mostly for Manitoba locations.

“Small craft harbours are vital to so many fisheries and entire communities,” Jordan said Friday, in a statement. “To build greener, safer, and more efficient harbours from coast to coast to coast, we’re investing in the people who live in those communities, and rely on these harbours every day.”

Jordan noted that about 90 per cent of all Canadian seafood goes through small craft harbours, and that Canada’s fish harvesters depend on these facilities to support their livelihoods.

That’s especially true for Gimli, one of the communities receiving a bulk of the funding. The rural municipality’s mayor, Lynn Greenberg, told the Free Press he couldn’t be happier.

“We have around 75 commercial fisheries here and so, it’s very much a fishing community with our economy depending on it heavily,” Greenberg said Friday, adding the location is home port to 66 fishing vessels and over 210 recreational vessels.

Not only is fishing a driver for employment in the small Manitoba town, but it also has historical significance. The commercial sector in Gimli still features many fourth-generation fishers of Icelandic origin, which lends itself to the strong connection it has to Iceland and Nordic culture today — including the Icelandic Festival hosted there annually.

“It may come as a surprise for people outside of the Prairies to learn there is a robust fishery here,” said Jim Carr, the federal government’s representative for the Prairies and MP for Winnipeg South Centre. “Water and fishing is a way of life. Gimli is the biggest harbour between Ontario and B.C.

“In the heart of Manitoba’s Interlake region the Gimli harbour has received numerous improvements over the past few years and it’s great to see these latest investments, not only for Gimli but for several harbours across the Prairies.”

Outside Gimli, many Manitoba harbours have been identified for improvements.

Wharf improvements are planned for Thicket Portage on Wintering Lake in northern Manitoba. Launch ramps will also be rebuilt at Calder’s Dock and Gull Harbour on Lake Winnipeg, Mossey River, Whitefish Point Harbour on Lake Winnipegosis, and Whiskey Jack Portage on Kiskittogisu Lake.

Across the Prairies, the small craft harbour in Missinipe on Saskatchewan’s Otter Lake will also be updated. And in Alberta, engineering investigations are planned at ports in Canyon Creek and Hardisty.

“When we invest in our local harbours, we invest in the people who work and live near them, and I’m proud to be a part of such an important initiative,” said Terry Duguid, a Winnipeg-based MP and parliamentary secretary to the minister of economic development.

Dan Vandal, federal minister of Northern Affairs and MP for Saint Boniface–Saint Vital agreed. “The work carried out will renew and maintain the infrastructure that is essential to the region, and support our local communities,” Vandal said.

“I am proud that we are investing in people, promoting inclusive growth, and building stronger communities.”

temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @temurdur