Question Period Note: Impacts on Small Craft Harbours after Hurricane Fiona

What is the situation for Small Craft Harbours in eastern Canada in the wake of Fiona? What is Fisheries and Oceans Canada doing to address the situation?

• Fiona caused widespread infrastructure damage, including damage to DFO-owned fishing harbours. Departmental staff are working diligently to repair what can be fixed now and planning the longer term work needed to address all of the hurricane’s impacts on this infrastructure.
• On October 4, the Prime Minister announced the $300 million Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund.
• On October 17, I announced that to support immediate recovery efforts, $100 million from the fund has been set aside to repair essential infrastructure at harbours and to retrieve lost fishing gear.
• This demonstrates our Government’s commitment to providing the fishing industry with safe, climate resilient harbours.

• Fiona hit Atlantic Canada and Quebec on Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24 as a powerful post-tropical storm, bringing damaging winds, torrential rainfall, large waves and destructive storm surge to the region to all of Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec. In the aftermath of the storm, thousands were left without power across the region.
• The storm impacted various types of infrastructure, including DFO-owned fishing harbours, managed by the Small Craft Harbours Program (SCH). SCHs is working diligently to determine the effects Fiona has had on the Program’s infrastructure.
• On October 4, the Prime Minister announced the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund, which will provide $300 million over two years, starting this year, to help those impacted by the storm and to support long-term recovery efforts.
• On October 17, the Fisheries and Oceans Minister announced that to support immediate recovery efforts, $100 million from this fund had been set aside to repair essential infrastructure and retrieve lost fishing gear.

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