Ottawa confirms $3 million for wharf work

The $3 million figure had been revealed earlier in the week.

The funding was announced by MP Peter MacKay, who was representing Transport Canada Minister Lawrence Cannon.

The money shows the government continues to support important infrastructure, MacKay said, and he gave much of the credit for the aid to Reg Hazelton, chair of the Digby Harbour Port Association.

Hazelton said the first phase of reconstruction would include filling in under the former CPR spur wharf where waves now wash through to the inner harbour.

As well, the wharf’s oil tanks will be housed in a building, and a sunken boat will be removed.

The biggest and most noticeable change will be construction of floats between the middle ell and the parking lot, and another float by Casey’s Fisheries headed south.

The floats will be accompanied by stairs to the main dock, eliminating the traditional steep climb up ladders that Hazelton said “are old hat and dangerous.”

If the floating docks work as Hazelton expects, the second phase will see the decrepit middle ell removed and replaced by more floating docks. “They’re so much better in the end and much more modern,” Hazelton said.

The Digby Harbour Port Association took over the wharf in December from previous owners, the Maritime Harbours Society, a private group that had owned the wharf since November, 1999.

The association paid $1.2 million for the wharf—with the town and the municipality each granting $50,000. The association borrowed the other $1.1 million from the bank and through the Digby-Clare Business Development Centre-Growth Opportunities.