Steveston Harbour Authority is finally receiving a grant from the federal government to dredge the south arm of the Fraser River.
Steveston-Richmond East MP Parm Bains announced on Tuesday, Nov. 12, on behalf of Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Diane Lebouthillier, that B.C. will receive a total of $32 million for significant infrastructure improvements from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Steveston Harbour Authority is among 18 Pacific Region harbours receiving a grant. Grants will also go to nine harbours on Vancouver Island, four in the Lower Mainland, two on the Sunshine Coast, two in the Gulf Islands and one on the North Coast.
The overall budget also includes $11.15 million to complete minor projects supporting health and safety requirements at various harbours.
This announcement means Steveston will receive a one-time funding of $2.2 million for the dredging of the Steveston Channel, adjacent to the Steveston Gulf of Georgia and Paramount Harbours -- a long-awaited funding.
Three-quarters of the $8.5 million needed to dredge the Steveston Channel was secured by the harbour authority, including last year's provincial funding of $2.1 million and about $2 million from the City of Richmond.
Bains noted Steveston Harbour is the largest small-craft harbour in Canada.
"These facilities support a wide range of commercial and First Nation fishing activities and contribute significantly to the local economy and we all know Steveston Harbour is a key hub for our community here as the largest commercial port in Western Canada," he said.
Bains added the federal government is working with the Steveston Harbour Authority, the provincial government and the City of Richmond on the dredging project to ensure safe navigation and off-boating in the harbour to benefit commercial fishing harvesters and local businesses.
He highlighted the local harbour authority's effort in putting together studies on the importance of dredging the Steveston Channel.
When asked whether there would be funding for regular dredging work in the future, Bains said there are portions of the harbour that are regularly dredged and are covered by the government's existing general budget.
"Moving forward, we have a working group that's looking to see how we can do this in a long-term way, maybe bi-annually or every three years at a lower cost," he said.
Regular funding is an on-going discussion, Bains added.
"This (funding) was a very immediate need that we needed to get done, he said, adding "I know the great work that the harbour is doing and we'll continue to keep looking forward and what more we can do with some of these investments here."
Dredging and maintenance in the Steveston Channel is expected to begin in January with work on other projects anticipated to begin this fall.
Multi-level government and industry partnership
Steveston Harbour Authority president Robert Kiesman said the federal grant marks a new way for the harbour, the City of Richmond, and the provincial and federal governments to collaborate, something that hasn't happened since 1998.
Steveston Harbour has been collecting user fees towards dredging costs, Kiesman said.
"I know this file is a very difficult one, not a sexy story to dredge a harbour, but it's very important because with no harbour dredge, we have no industry here in Steveston," he added.
According to Kiesman, tens of million pounds of fish are unloaded in Steveston every year and it is the biggest and most important small-craft harbour in the country.
The Steveston Harbour Authority is looking to have more fishing companies and businesses in Steveston in the coming years. It recently opened a new crab processing facility.
Richmond Mayor Brodie described the Fraser River as a "maritime highway" and trade route for many vessels travelling through it.
This includes cargo ships, fishing boats and pleasure crafts.
"The Steveston Harbour is an important part of Richmond's history and our economy. Reliable and safe access is crucial to maintain our maritime businesses while providing safe access for commercial and pleasure users alike," said Brodie.
He added dredging is an ongoing necessity as sediments build up in the south arm of the Fraser River and interfere with boats coming and going at the harbour.
"Today's announcement of funding for the small-craft harbour is a positive step in making that happen both here and across the province."
As part of Budget 2024, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is investing $463.3 million over three years for the repair and maintenance of smallcraft harbours. This is in addition to the department's annual budget of $90 million for these harbours.
Got an opinion on this story or any others in Richmond? Send us a letter or email your thoughts or story tips to [email protected]. To stay updated on Richmond news, sign up for our daily headline newsletter. Words missing in article? Your adblocker might be preventing hyperlinked text from appearing.
