e-4845 (Transportation)

Petition to the House of Commons

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for transferring ownership of non-core harbours and making the necessary repairs;
• The Municipality of Verchères has expressed interest in acquiring the Verchères harbour following its rehabilitation over the past 25 years;
• The former Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard stated in a letter dated May 31, 2022, that the Verchères federal harbour was a regional priority for divestiture but that no funding was available to start the project; information that was confirmed by the current Minister’s office on December 13, 2023;
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been negligent in not maintaining the Verchères harbour for decades;
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada made the decision to close the Verchères harbour for safety reasons in 2020;
• The Municipality of Verchères has developed a master plan for the harbour area to promote tourism and recreational development and provide access to the river and islands, which is dependent on the harbour’s rehabilitation;
• SIMEC is concerned that it will be unable to respond to oil spills due to the harbour’s closure; and
• This harbour has shaped the identity of Verchères and is rooted in the heritage and history of the wooden rowboat in Canada.