March 17, 2011
O’Leary, Prince Edward Island – The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced support for storm-damaged areas in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Manitoba. The investment includes $71.6 million to enable the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Small Craft Harbours Program to undertake harbour repair and clean-up projects, and $800,000 to fund repairs to damaged Canadian Coast Guard aids to navigation.
“Our Government is committed to helping communities that faced devastating storms at the end of last year,” said Minister Shea. “We are starting the process of restoring harbour facilities needed by the fishing and marine industries, which are essential to the local economies.”
In the fall and winter of 2010, Hurricane Igor in Newfoundland, the Manitoba “Weather Bomb,” and the December storms in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, caused damage to fishing harbours in more than 250 communities. Some Canadian Coast Guard aids to navigation were also severely damaged.
“We could only watch as these storms devastated some of the infrastructure the fishing and marine industries rely on,” said Minister Shea. “Now, our Government is taking action to return damaged harbours to safe working conditions, and to repair the aids to navigation that ensure the safety of mariners.”
Over the past months, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard have been working with local communities, harbour authorities and Public Works and Government Services Canada to assess damages. This funding will allow the Department to continue on-site assessments and engineering studies, as well as undertake the necessary repair and clean-up projects.
Background information:
Government of Canada to Fund Repairs to Storm-Damaged Harbours in Prince Edward Island
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For Broadcast:
The Harper Government is providing $72.4 million to repair and clean-up storm-damaged harbours in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Manitoba, as well as aids to navigation. The funding will help communities, as well as fishing and marine industries recover from Hurricane Igor, the Manitoba “Weather Bomb,” and last December’s storms in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. These storms caused unprecedented damage to fishing harbours relied on by local fishing and marine industries.
For more information:
Frank Stanek
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-990-7537
Kate Davis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-992-3474
NR-HQ-11-04E
