No A002/05 For publication February 17, 2005 TRANSPORT CANADA TO IMPROVE SAFETY, UTILITY OF QUEEN'S WHARF, SUMMERSIDE BY REPLACING WAVE BREAK Summerside, PEI – The Honourable Joe McGuire, Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and MP for Egmont announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-C. Lapierre, Minister of Transport, that Transport Canada has awarded a contract to design and acquire the materials for a new wave break on Queen's Wharf in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. The $43,310 contract was awarded to Summerside Industrial Fabricators of Summerside, Prince Edward Island. "I am pleased to be able to announce the replacement of this wave break," said Mr. McGuire. "The new wave break will help ensure that Queen's Wharf remains a safe and effective port facility." "Keeping transportation facilities in Canadian communities in good repair is an important part of what we do at Transport Canada," said Mr. Lapierre. "The funding for this project makes it possible for the users of Queen's Wharf to continue to earn their living safely." Queen's Wharf provides berthage and protection for a small number of fishing vessels and the pilot boat. The wharf was built in 1961 and the wave break was added in 1987. A wave break is a series of vertical boards along the outer wall of a wharf, constructed to prevent sea-spray from reaching vessels tied up along the inside of the wharf. The wave break at Queen's Wharf in Summerside was in an extremely deteriorated state when it was removed in late September, 2004. The steel fasteners were corroded to the point that the entire structure could have broken loose from the wharf and fallen into the water – causing a hazard to navigation. Alternative berthages for the users of Queen's Wharf were unavailable at Transport Canada's two other wharves in the area; the Marine Terminal and Holman's Wharf. As conditions can be quite severe at Queen's Wharf, with sea-spray hampering operations for wharf users, the decision was made to replace the wave break with a new structure. Design work and material acquisition for the new wave break will take place over the remainder of the winter. A contract for installation will be tendered in the spring of 2005. - 30 - Contacts: Irène Marcheterre Director of Communications Office of the Minister, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Steve Bone Area Manager, Communications Transport Canada (902) 426-7795 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
