$900,000 for Annapolis County wharfs

By Lawrence Powell

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Three Annapolis County fishing harbours will get almost $1 million in funding from the federal government, West Nova MP Greg Kerr announced Saturday morning as he toured Victoria Beach, Delaps Cove, and Hampton. All three are working fishing communities with deteriorating wharfs or in need of breakwater work. "These three projects are very encouraging for West Nova's fisheries community," Kerr said. "This funding will help complete repairs and improve infrastructure."

Kerr made the announcement on behalf of Cail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Funding comes from Ottawa's Small Craft Harbours Program that was recently bolstered by $200 million, above and beyond the program's $80-million budget for this year. Kerr said the extra money comes from Canada's Economic Action Plan and communities throughout Canada will receive the additional $200 million over two years to accelerate harbour repair and maintenance, as well as undertake dredging projects.

Saturday's announcements totaled about $900,000 and Kerr said the money would not be equally allotted, but rather be spent by project expense.

At Battery Point in Victoria Beach, part of the wharf is literally sinking, with concrete decking tilted and a stairway slanted. Jonathan Taylor, harbour authority, took Kerr on a tour of the failing wharf where eight big boats and six smaller ones tie up.

Also on hand was Jeff Gregory, president of the newly formed Annapolis County Wharfs Association, and Annapolis County Councillor Tom Vitiello who has been pushing for wharf and harbour improvements.

In Delaps Cove, that six fishing boats call home, Kerr talked to Shannon Burnie of the harbour authority there, where fishermen want a breakwater at the end of the wharf extended back along the exposed side of the wharf and up the beach. They also want improvements to their slipway. Burnie stressed that when plans are being drawn up and work is being done, the harbour authority and local fishermen must have input because they know the quirks of the existing harbour and infrastructure.

Kerr said the three projects are being undertaken by Fisheries and Oceans in close collaboration with the harbour authorities that manage and operate the facilities.

Gregory, who attended all three of Kerr's stops, heads a cooperative group that the county helped form. He described the announcement as "all good." Vitiello, who had a hand in the group's formation and was also at Delaps Cove, said the needs of small harbour wharfs didn't even seem to be on anybody's radar until the association came into being.

In Hampton, Mark Covert with the harbour authority, showed up with plans for piling work along about 110 feet of the east wharf where the ballast is in danger of spilling into the harbour. That and other work planned over a five-year period in Hampton, would cost more than $500,000 according to a study.

Annapolis County Councillor Wayne Fowler was at Hampton for the announcement as well as most of the local fishermen where seven boats tie up and others often take refuge in bad weather. Scallap boats from Digby often stop in at the Hampton wharf as well.

Fisherman Carl Young remembers helping build the wharf in the early 1980s. "We built it ourselves," he said. They used native timber which has stood up amazingly well, but is ready to fail. "We lose the ballast, we lose the wharf," he said.

Kerr said almost $28 million in funding is being spent in West Nova through the Small Craft Harbours Program.