Evidence of meeting #121 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was dredging.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
I'm going to cut you off there.
Harbour authorities, again, are run by a volunteer base.
I know a little bit about divestiture of ports and airports. I'm going to speak freely about airports. When the Government of Canada divested itself of the airports, we had to build a business plan on how we were going to safely and securely run that airport. I would think that harbour authorities are supposed to do the same. Is that correct?
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes, that responsibility has been delegated to—
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Are you providing any additional funds for them when they are talking to you about serious concerns about the state of their small craft harbours? You said you meet with them on an annual basis—
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
On the ground our regional offices are in constant contact with the various harbour authorities.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Then we should have up-to-date data. Is that correct?
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
I think you're misconstruing.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
When Denise said there was no data, we were talking about a specific assessment of how much money it would need over the next 10 years to be able to fully meet the requirements of the program, and that assessment was done in 2013.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
That's correct.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Okay. Well, thank you for qualifying that for me.
Do I still have time?
4:10 p.m.
Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)
You're actually well over.
Now we go back to the government side.
Mr. Morrissey, you have five minutes or less, please.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I, too, want to acknowledge the young fishers who travelled I believe on their own means and found the resources to get to Ottawa. Last night, they very eloquently presented their case for the issues confronting them and that owner-operator works well on the east coast, which we acknowledge, and they'd like to see that on the west coast.
I truly hope we get the opportunity to travel to the west coast to hear more of what you have to say. Thank you for coming and presenting your case so well.
I have a few specific questions.
You listed 189 projects that were funded through budget 2018 and 104 projects that are being carried out this year. Could you provide us with a list of those projects and the estimated cost around them, provided the cost does not violate confidentiality or competitive information within the department? If you could provide the committee with those projects, I would appreciate it.
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We'd have to make sure in how we report out to you the value of the projects, that we're not, as you mentioned—
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Yes.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
—without the dollar value.
You referenced the need for emergency response, emergency funds. Is there an itemized amount in your budget for dealing with emergency situations? They come up all the time.
4:15 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
We do have a contingency fund of $5 million that we put aside every year.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Is that for all of Canada? Wow. I hope you don't have many emergencies. It's $5 million.
4:15 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Harbour Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Half of it is already gone, I think.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
No doubt. I could spend that much in my riding. I'm amazed it's so small.
There's an issue I would like you to comment on.
Is there a common responsibility for maintenance—and I'll just reference Atlantic Canada—for the harbour authorities? What we found in travelling on the east coast, and the west coast to an extent as well, is that it's all over the board in terms of what some authorities are responsible for in their harbours. Are there common itemized expenses that harbour authorities are responsible for?
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Small Craft Harbours, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
In the lease that we have with harbour authorities, it stipulates that they are responsible for the day-to-day management of facilities and minor maintenance work. It is true that some—
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
That's pretty broad. It's all over the place. Really, I believe that's an issue small craft harbours should more clearly define to come up with a common.... Then it may drive—I have to be careful with this—a better realization of the cost for some of the users of these ports and an understanding of what may have to be contributed to keep it up.
My point is that sometimes the expectations are very high when nobody sees the bill, when government is responsible for it all. Outside of the lease, the agreement between authorities, there's no real clear.... For instance, it could be that the lights, the electricity is your cost, and items like that. It's not that specific, is it?