Nelson Sergerie

CHANDLER – Started last fall, work to repair the Newport wharf is progressing, according to the Newport Port Association.

Phases 1 and 2 of the vast project are going well, thanks in particular to an unexpected helping hand from Mother Nature, which has provided a mild winter so far.

“In phase 1, the work is going number one. Winter is here, which allowed the contractor and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to do the work. Phase one should be passable for the start of fishing,” explains the president of the Newport Port Association, Luc Legresley.

Phase 1 consists of the construction of a new 278-foot wharf between the existing mid-shore and coastal wharves.

Phase 2 is also progressing. “Dredging was done across the entire wharf. What is planned is the construction of the coastal or lobster boat wharf, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a new wharf to the east of the current one,” explains Mr. Legresley.

With little ice, the fishing season could be early. Boats could be launched as early as March. “The most important thing will be safety: both that of the workers and the boats. In March, there are still some good storms. I tell anyone who will listen to be careful before mooring on the docks,” suggests the president who notes that there is ice on the docks due to the work.

Phases 3 and 4 are ready, and all that is missing is the financing for their implementation. “If I rely on certain comments from both Fisheries and Oceans and the office of Member of Parliament and Minister Diane Lebouthillier, I sincerely hope that phases 3 and 4 will be announced quickly,” he says.

The mid-shore wharf is at the end of its life, and Mr. Legresley fears that it will no longer be accessible
“The coastal wharf, this large quay is phase 3 where the boats enter inside the quay, and phase 4 is the large parking lot area where the boats can moor and unload,” specifies the president.

If all goes as planned, phase 2 should be completed in 2025. “We will push so that in 2025 and 2026, phases 3 and 4 can be done. Are we dreaming in colour? I do not know. I have full confidence in the DFO staff,” says Mr. Legresley.

In November, the authorities remained cautious about the cost of the work but put it at between $10 and $15 million.

According to the port authority, traffic has increased over the last seven years from around 3000 to more than 7000 boat movements annually. Managers had been working on this project for several years.

At the end of the wharf reconstruction, the Port of Newport will have about 400 additional feet of dock.