The federal government will invest $32 million over the next three years to repair and maintain wharfs and floats at 18 small-craft harbours in the province — including eight on Vancouver Island and two on Salt Spring Island.
Small-craft harbours, considered essential to the commercial fishing industry, had landings valued at $4.7 billion in 2022 and support more than 45,000 jobs in the Canadian commercial fishing industry, as well as thousands of jobs in supporting industries, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“As the nation with the longest coastline in the world, we must invest in resilient harbour infrastructure capable of facing the climate challenges of today and tomorrow,” Diane Lebouthillier, minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said in a statement.
“This is not only a question of economic development, but also of food security.”
Work is expected to begin this fall.
There are eight harbours receiving funding on Vancouver Island, two on Salt Spring Island, and one on Cormorant Island:
• Alert Bay, wharf and float reconstruction
• Campbell River, float reconstruction
• Comox, wharf and float reconstruction
• Cowichan Bay, wharf and float reconstruction
• Crofton, wharf and float reconstruction
• Fanny Bay, float reconstruction
• Fulford, wharf reconstruction
• Ladysmith, wharf reconstruction
• Tofino (Fourth Street), wharf and float reconstruction
• Tsehum (Shoal Harbour), wharf and float reconstruction
• Vesuvius Bay, wharf and float reconstruction
