Double Small Craft Harbours funding
Petitioners ask the government to double federal funding for Small Craft Harbours, secure permanent investment and better communication with harbour authorities to modernize facilities, create jobs and speed up January 2024 objectives. The government responds it committed $463.3M over three years from 2024–25 plus the program’s $90M annual budget.
Why we would sign this petition
- Would expand funding to reduce reliance on volunteers and enable maintenance across more small craft harbours, improving safety and harbour availability.
- Permanent investment and modernization would create local jobs and upgrade critical harbour infrastructure.
- Better communication with harbour authorities and communities would align federal action with local needs and help meet the January 2024 objectives sooner.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Doubling federal funding is costly and would require trade-offs, potentially reducing resources for other priorities.
- The government has recently announced multi‑year and annual funding for the program, so further increases risk duplicating measures or being inefficient.
- Increased funding alone may not speed outcomes if governance, project capacity or local timelines are the limiting factors.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: Small Craft Harbours are the backbone of the fishing industry. They aim to provide nationwide facilities and resources to the fish harvesters, other users of harbours, and the fishing industry as a whole. The maintaining of these harbours relies on volunteers that are only able to contribute to around 700 out of 950 harbours that are established across Canada. Last year, the Government stated that it aims for these harbours to be fully operated and maintained to be in good working condition. For years, the program has been operating under a $90 million-dollar annual budget with no promise of any permanent funding increase. Not only have there been no developments for the Government's objectives released last year, but operations have held back maintenance on ongoing projects, and there are no employment opportunities for people in the industry due to this lack of investment. The Government has also failed to build relationships with members of the fishing industry and harbour authorities to understand the needs of coastal communities and act accordingly. Therefore: we, the undersigned residents of Long Range Mountains call on the Government of Canada to: Double Federal funding for Small Craft Harbours. Ensure strong communication with harbour authorities and coastal communities and allow for permanent investment into the industry for the development of modern infrastructure and to create more jobs that the community deserves. Achieve the objectives released by the Government January of 2024 to "maintain a sustainable national network of safe and accessible harbours that are: fully operated; in good working condition; managed and maintained by self-sufficient harbour authorities who represent the interests of users and communities." sooner than later.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Fisheries Signed by Ernie Klassen The Government of Canada recognizes the vital importance of its network of fishing harbours to the commercial fishing industry. These harbours are essential infrastructure for coastal communities across the country, supporting local economies and contributing to Canada's economic prosperity. The Small Craft Harbours Program is responsible for managing and maintaining this network to ensure harbours remain safe and accessible for fish harvesters and other users. This work is supported by the program’s regular annual budget of approximately $90 million, as well as by a series of temporary funding initiatives. Over the past 10 years alone, the Government of Canada has announced more than $1.5 billion in additional funding to support small craft harbours. Through this program, Fisheries and Oceans Canada oversees a network of 939 small craft harbours in close collaboration with local Harbour Authorities. These non-profit organizations, comprised of more than 5,000 volunteers—many of whom are harbour users themselves—play a crucial role in managing and operating harbours across the country. The dedication of these volunteers is instrumental in ensuring that harbours critical to the fishing industry remain operational and well-maintained. The success of this collaborative effort is largely due to the strong partnership between Harbour Authority officials and Fisheries and Oceans Canada staff. The government is committed to continued support for the Small Craft Harbours program through $463.3 million over three years, starting in 2024-25, announced in Budget 2024 for repairs and maintenance of small craft harbours across the country in addition to the program’s $90 million annual budget.