I am informed by the Departments of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport as follows:
(a) 1948;
(b) The float was built as a public float;
(c) The society expressed an interest in acquiring the property in a letter to the minister dated November 5, 1998. The letter was referred to as a letter of intent and stipulated that the society would be under no obligation to operate a public port. The letter of intent was not signed by Transport Canada;
(d) Discussion between the society and Transport Canada were initiated early 1998. The society then expressed its interest in a letter of intent dated November 5, 1998. In its April 28, 1999 correspondence, Transport Canada declined the November 5, 1998 offer from the society and identified the amount available for an operating contribution for a public facility, or as an alternative suggested that the float could be acquired at market value;
(e) The letter from the society referred to as a letter of intent was dated November 5, 1998, and was not signed by Transport Canada. No reply was received to Transport Canada’s letter of April 28, 1999;
(f) The November 5, 1998 letter submitted by the society stipulated that the “local entity not be obligated to manage, operate or maintain the port as a regional local port open to the public”. The divestiture program requires facilities to be operated as a public port for a specified period unless the facilities are acquired at market value;
(g) In this letter of April 28, 1999, Transport Canada declined the letter of intent but identified the amount available for an operating contribution for a public facility, or as an alternative suggested that the float could be acquired at market value;
(h) The society’s letter dated November 5, 1998, which was referred to as a letter of intent, was not consistent with the principles of the national marine policy;
(i) The society’s letter of intent was not consistent with the national marine policy;
(j) In October 1999;
(k) In August of 1999, Transport Canada informed DFO that it had no further use for the Billings Bay float and offered the structure for removal from the Billings Bay location. The offer was passed on to the Harbour Authority of Pender Harbour, which leases and manages three area public fishing harbours on behalf of DFO. The harbour authority, now the owner of the float, relocated it to its Whiskey Slough site to help reduce overcrowding and for additional berthage for commercial fishers and other public users;
(l) There is little information on the use of the facility as it was not a staffed facility. A log book that was located at the site is reported to have shown 30 entries for the period of 1994 to 1996;
(m) A number of docks are available on Nelson Island including Hidden Harbour, Strawberry Islet between Cockburn Bay and Billings Bay, and numerous docks line the shores in Blind Bay; and
(n)
- 1995-96 was the last time this site incurred expenditures. Other expenditures were incurred in the 1999-2000 site inspection but were not considered maintenance costs.