Yes, absolutely.
Evidence of meeting #43 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wharves.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #43 for Fisheries and Oceans in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was wharves.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
You've heard other witnesses talk about the type of material we use. In the interim, when this has to be done quickly, you may have to resort to using some of the traditional methods, like using rock to build it up higher and getting newer timbers on, and that is in the interim. Unfortunately, that's the only....
5 p.m.
Conservative
Richard Bragdon Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Mr. Barron, in follow-up to that, do you feel like the response so far has been adequate from the government? Has it been immediate? Is it addressing the urgency of the need for our small craft harbours to be ready for the next season?
5 p.m.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
I believe the government understands the urgency. Is it being addressed in an urgent manner? No, it's not.
5 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Bragdon.
We'll now go to Mr. Morrissey for five minutes or less, please.
November 22nd, 2022 / 5 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Chair.
My question will go to Mr. Leys, and then I want Mr. Barron to speak to it.
Suffice it to say that successive governments, some more than others, have not spent enough on small craft harbour infrastructure. That's established; that's given. Fiona has demonstrated the impact of that.
We recognize that the money announced by our government is a first step. We've made that clear. At the same time, the Government of Canada set aside a billion dollars a couple of weeks ago to accept the cost that's coming from the four provinces under the DFAA agreement. Some of the infrastructure Mr. Barron referred to could be covered under this if it is not small craft harbours. Small craft harbours, under the Financial Administration Act, are the only property the Government of Canada can spend money on to improve. There may be a source from there.
My question follows what Mr. Small and Mr. Arnold raised. The concern I have is that while we can appropriate money, it's not going to immediately translate into work getting done.
Mr. Leys, do you have any recommendations to this committee that would allow a faster process while protecting the taxpayers' public funds, a faster process that could go from dedicated funding to projects getting under way? This is one of the frustrations I pick up from harbour authorities. Could we use harbour authorities more?
Mr. Leys, you could briefly speak to that. From your experience, can you recommend anything to this committee that could speed up the process? If there's a lot of money to spend on fixing things up, you have to have contractors in place, you have to have adequate design, you have to have oversight, and you have to ensure that public funds are spent in the right place.
How do we resolve that conundrum?
5:05 p.m.
Senior Coastal Engineer, CBCL Limited
I don't have a specific recommendation on that. I know people are working hard to get these design projects through. Sometimes things can be slowed down in the process of procurement, that's for sure. At the same time, guardrails have been put in place during the procurement process so that money is spent wisely and there's oversight.
I would defer that question to infrastructure managers at small craft harbours, because they have a better control and vision as to how things get moved towards the small craft harbour communities.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Still, if you could triple the budget today, the work is not going to get done in time. You simply cannot get it out using the existing format of moving it from funding approval to tender design and the work being done.
I'm going to go to Mr. Barron.
Mr. Barron, is there a role the local harbour authorities could play to take on more of this responsibility on smaller repairs and design work that could initiate the project faster?
5:05 p.m.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
I didn't get the last part of your question, because your mike didn't pick it up.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Is there a role the local harbour authority could play to speed up the process and get some of this work under way in a more efficient way than the complicated design timelines the department has?
5:05 p.m.
President, Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association
Yes, I definitely believe that.
In the case of my community, the two local heavy equipment contractors were there pretty much within a week of Fiona, doing the beach cleanup and moving the rocks they could move and putting containers back in place.
The local contracting companies and the local harbour authority have worked very well together in response to Fiona, but when the big project has to start, the smaller contractors within the community don't have the means, the capabilities or the equipment to do it.
In the interim, the harbour authority has been good at working with locals to get stuff going.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Ken McDonald
Thank you, Mr. Morrissey.
That concludes our rounds of questioning. We agreed to go into committee business for the last portion of our meeting, which takes a few minutes to change over to.
I want to say a big thank you to Mr. Barron, Ms. Bakos, Ms. Eyquem, Ms. Fuller, of course, who's no stranger to the committee, and Mr. Leys. Thank you for your time here today and for sharing your knowledge with the committee on this very important topic.
We'll suspend for a few moments.
[Proceedings continue in camera]