Wharf of words

By Gavin Simms

FOR THE SOU’WESTER



‘Maybe next year, the year after perhaps, who knows?’

This blind sentiment keeps the Harbour Authority committee of Summerville, N.L. hanging provoked and perplexed.

Committee president Horace Newell says it’s been eight or 10 years since the town first began applying for an extension on the fishing wharf. All that time and nothing seems to have come from it. They don’t know what they’re doing wrong or why it is their issue has gone unresolved for the better part of a decade.

The problem with the wharf pertains solely to its size. It hasn’t the space to hold the number of boats the fishing season brings.

“There’s not enough room to accommodate the boats that are there and when the fishing season is on the go with capelin, mackerel and crab there’s not enough space to get in and off-load your catch and leave your boat there sensibly over night,” Horace explains.

The town has between 20 and 25 of their own fishermen and apart from that, several boats — from long-liners to speedboats — arriving regularly from other communities.

On many occasions the situation has turned the simple act of docking and unloading into a waiting game. Last year, while the mackerel fishery was in full swing, many boats were forced to set anchor off in the harbour and wait for the other boats to unload.

“There’s an iceberg barge sitting at the wharf. If the fishermen come in then they untie barge and go out into the harbour to moor. They let the fishermen do what they’ve got to do then when they’re finished the barge comes back in again.

“Thankfully, Ed Cain, the man who owns the barge is very cooperative. He’s just waiting to get his water unloaded,” Horace says.

During last week’s capelin season they could only fit two pumps on the wharf. With an extension, they say they’ll also have more room for more pumps and extra equipment.

“If other boats wanted to come in, they could offload quicker and come back with more. Quality of the fish is another issue; it doesn’t take long for the quality to be lost when you’re out there waiting like that,” says Judy Newell, Secretary Treasure of the Harbour Committee.

According to Newell, other communities along Bonavista South may have only half a dozen fishermen and yet they’ve received money to upgrade their wharfs. It frustrates the town of Summerville to say the least.

The deep waters of Summerville can accommodate sizable long-liners that other towns can’t. It’s bothersome that many of the towns who’ve been given funding in the last few years can’t even allow long-liners in to unload.

There have been times when Summerville has had no choice but to turn boats away altogether. This has applied to fishing vessels as well as pleasure boats. All for lack of space.

To the town, it means a loss of potential tourism and comes across as government disregard for their local economy.

They’ve forwarded their appeal to Small Craft Harbours (SCH).

SCH operates and maintains a national system of harbours to provide commercial fishers and recreational boaters with safe and accessible facilities.

They’re responsible for 987 fishing harbours and a remaining 183 recreational harbours. They are often the only federal presence in small coastal communities such as a Summerville, and provide the most direct and visible link between the communities and the federal government.

“What Small Craft Harbours tells us is ‘the final decision is made in Ottawa’. But someone has to put the priorities in order before it’s sent to Ottawa,” Judy says.

Regional director for SCH Bill Goulding says the Summerville wharf expansion project is valid.

“It would be reasonable for us to work on in the future,” he says.

“ It’s certainly an active fishing harbour and we’re pleased with the work that the Harbour Authority of Summerville are doing.”

That being said, the priority for funding is normally given to those towns that require maintenance and repair.

“Given the limitations of the funding that’s available, it makes allocating the funding across the board a bit of a challenge, but it is possible.

“We weren’t able to allocate funding for the Summerville project this year because demands for repair and maintenance funding were very significant,” Goulding says.

This year in Newfoundland, the major project budget is $16 million. They’ve got 250 locations and requests ranging from a few thousand dollars to several million. The money can’t get around to every need that’s there.

“We’re doing what we can to try and make the allocations as fairly as possible. Where need is the greatest. It’s just that demands on their project far exceed the resources that are currently available.”

Goulding is more than aware that Summerville has a strong case and will need additional wharf space. When involved in the application process, he notes that patience is a virtue.

The Harbour Authority’s next move is to take it straight to the Federal Government. They have Loyola Hearn’s contact information and hope to speak with him personally in the coming weeks. Newell recently spoke with Bonavista South MHA Roger Fitzgerald concerning their cause.

“I suggested to Mr. Newell that it might be a good idea to get Mr. Goulding out to meet with the harbour authority there to express the need and show that wharf is congested and busy and there’s need for an expansion,” Fitzgerald told The Packet.

They Harbour Authority is asking for an extension of approximately 20 feet by 150 feet.



(Gavin Simms is a journalist with Transcontinental Media’s Packet, which is a contributor to the Sou’Wester.)