Government of Canada invests in major small craft harbours in northern New Brunswick
POINTE-VERTE, NB, Oct. 23, 2026 /CNW/ — Small craft harbours are vital infrastructure that support Canada’s commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors, helping sustain coastal communities and local economies from coast to coast to coast. Together, Canada’s fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing industries support nearly 65,000 jobs and generated $8.47 billion in seafood exports in 2025.
Today, Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie-Bathurst, on behalf of the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, announced a major construction project at Pointe-Verte Small Craft Harbour in New Brunswick. This includes advanced planning and rock-over of four existing wharf structures, installation of new floating docks and reconstruction of the existing slipway. This work will improve safety, reliability, and climate resilience for harvesters and harbour users.
This project will help ensure the harbour can continue to support the local fishing industry while creating jobs during construction.
This investment builds on the Government of Canada’s commitment announced in the 2026 Spring Economic Update, which is to invest nearly $1 billion over five years to repair, maintain and modernize small craft harbours across the country. This funding will support harbour repairs, dredging, and making harbour infrastructure more resilient to changing environmental conditions and extreme weather.
In addition to announcing the major construction project at Pointe-Verte, MP Serge Cormier provided industry members with status updates of other small craft harbour construction projects in northern New Brunswick, including Sainte-Marie-sur-Mer, Grande-Anse, Le Goulet, and Miller Brook (Salmon Beach). Details pertaining to each project can be found in the Backgrounder.
Safe and reliable harbours are vital to the success of New Brunswick’s fishing industry and the communities that depend on it. The funding announced in the 2026 Spring Economic Update will strengthen Canada’s competitiveness and economic growth while supporting the communities that depend on these harbours. As Canada transforms from economic reliance to resilience, investments in small craft harbours will support local economic development for generations to come.
“Small craft harbours are the very heart of New Brunswick’s coastal communities. They are critical infrastructure for local economies, like the community of Pointe-Verte. By investing in the future of Pointe-Verte harbour, as well as other harbours, we are ensuring the safety of fish harvesters and their crew members.”
The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
“Small craft harbours are the backbone of coastal communities. Harvesters need infrastructure they can rely on, and the work that will be done here at Pointe-Verte harbour, as well as other neighbouring harbours, will give the local fleet a safer, more reliable place to tie up their vessels and land their catches. I look forward to working with the Pointe-Verte Harbour Authority and the harbour users on this important wharf construction project.”
Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie-Bathurst
- Pointe-Verte is the homeport for roughly 16 commercial fishing vessels and crews. It serves the commercial lobster and halibut fisheries in northern New Brunswick. A mackerel bait fishery also takes place from the harbour. The local coastal communities depend on the revenue generated by the industry.
- In 2024, commercial fishery landings in Pointe-Verte harbour amounted to a total value of more than $2.7M.
- Funding under the 2026 Spring Economic Update is supporting necessary harbour maintenance and repairs across Canada, including in New Brunswick. In Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec, harbour repairs and modernization began under the federal Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund and Budget 2024.
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages close to 935 harbours valued at approximately $7.1 billion — infrastructure that supports the landing of roughly 90 per cent of Canada’s fish products and underpins the country’s seafood economy.
- Backgrounder: Status update of Small Craft Harbour construction projects in northern New Brunswick
- Spring Economic Update 2026
- Small Craft Harbours
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
