RECREATIONAL HARBOURS STUDY DFO lll~i1!~~1~1i1~ifllill~i 1lii~1lleque 12016982 Fisheries and Oceans Small Craft Harbours Branch Newfoundland Region December 1979 I I .J. I ~ -~ • • a ... ... , . .. ~ =-i .._ ..... ­ I I ·~ VK 369.8.C2 ... • N4 R42 C.2 n LIBRARY FI:;frnJur:s A'.'ID OCEANS li~DU0 l :J L'JUE OCEAMOGR/.\r'MY P~CULS El' OctANS BOX 1006 DARTMOUTH, N.S. B2Y 4A2 RECREATIONAL HARBOURS STUDY FISHERIES AND OCEANS SMALL CRAFT HARBOURS BRANCH NEWFOUNDLAND REGION December 1979 SEASHORE ENGINEERING & ASSOCIATES LTD. ST. JOHN'S NFL D. I N D E X Item Description Page 1. Introduction 1-3 2. Methodology 4-5 3. Inventory of Existing Facilities and Boats 6-11 4. Review of Selected Policy Options 12-24 5. Review of Meetings with Provincial 25-27 Governments 6. Recommended Policy for the Development of 28-34 Recreational Harbour Facilities in the Newfoundland Region 7. Estimated Cost of Program 35-38 Appendix 11 A11 Appendix 11 811 ( i ) - 1 - 1. INTRODUCTION In 1973 the responsibility for the programming, funding and administration of marine facilities used mainly by corrunercial fisher­ men and recreational boaters was transferred from the Department of Public Works and Transport to the Small Craft Harbours Branch of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (then Department of Environment). Nationally, and particularly in Newfoundland, the program has been administered in a manner that has given priority to harbour develop­ ments that are used primarily by corrunercial fishermen. This is due to the importance of the fishing industry to the Newfoundland economy and the urgent need to upgrade facilities to service the independent fishermen. To date there has been limited demand for assistance under the Marina Policy Assistance Program and the Tourist Wharf Program due to the minimal current level of recreational boating activity within the provirice and the somewhat restrictive nature of the ex­ isting programs. The Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act, proclaimed October 5, 1973, gives the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans a broader and legislated mandate in the area of recreational harbour development. The Small Craft Harbours Branch is considering various departmental policy options on recreational harbours with corresponding levels of funding. Assistance is required in examining the implications of various alternate policy options on a regional basis. - 2 - The purpose of this study is to review selected policy and program options and make specific recommendations as to their applic­ ability to Newfoundland. The review will also include an indication of the demand for recreational harbour facilities to 1985 and the approximate total costs associated with policy option No. 3, i.e. Enhancement of Current Policy with Increased Involvement from Other Levels of Government. 1.1 Terms of Reference The work to be carried out by the consultant, Seashore Engineering and Associates Ltd. was defined as follows:- l. Review preliminary reports on alternate policy options prepared for other regions. 2. Obtain, review and index readily available relevant data and other available studies from Small Craft Harbours, the private sector, boating organizations and the Provincial Government. Review pertinent provincial (Nfld.) legislation and policy. 3. Without conducting field studies, estimate the scope and geographical distribution of recreational boating in the Province, indicate future demand and probable areas of shortfall in supply up to 1985. Prepare an inventory of - 3 - major existing facilities by type and capacity, (marinas, launching ramps, yacht clubs, etc.). 4. Contact the related Provincial Government departments and principal municipal agencies to determine the implications of proposed policy options and the possibility of joint participation in future recreational harbour developments. 5. Prepare order of magnitude costs for the preferred policy option, Option No. 3. 6. Review selected policy and program options and make specific recommendations as to their applicability to Newfoundland. 7. Produce a report tabulating all data, listing facilities by size and type, outlining the methodology, sources of information and organizations contacted. - 4 - 2. METHODOLOGY In order to carry out the study objectives, as outlined in the Terms of Reference, the following methodology was used:- A. Inventory of Existing Facilities Without conducting any field studies, an inventory of major existing facilities was prepared. This was done by communication with various yacht clubs, boating associations, municipal councils, etc. There are no available statistics for recreational boaters in the Newfoundland Region, thus making it difficult to provide an accurate inventory. B. Review of Policy Options The preliminary reports on alternate policy options that were prepared for other regions were reviewed. Each of the policy options outlined for the Newfoundland Region was reviewed, with the preferred policy option No. 3 being re­ viewed in detail. C. Estimate of Costs for Recreational Harbours to 1985 Prepare estimate of costs for provision of required facil­ ities to 1985. A list of proposed facilities together with a preliminary estimate of costs was prepared for the region. - 5 - This was done in consultation with input from the Province, Small Craft Harbours Branch, Public Works, as well as the private sector. D. Development of Specific Policy for Newfoundland Region To assist in the formulation of a specific policy for the region, meetings and subsequent discussions were held with various Provincial Government departments, Small Craft Harbours Branch, and Public Works, Canada. An analysis was made of the recreational harbour facilities to 1985; and the benefits of a joint Federal-Provincial policy, with the Province as the developer, are discussed. - 6 - 3. INVENTORY OF EXISTING FACILITIES AND BOATS In the past, very little effort has been expended throughout the Province towards the development of recreational harbour facilities. The development of small craft harbour facilities for recreational purposes has been almost entirely carried out by the private sector and/or boating clubs, and the Provincial and Municipal Governments. Any development by the Provincial Government has been generally in the fresh water lakes or ponds. In an attempt to determine the existing facilities that are available for recreational boating, a form letter questionnaire (Appendix B) was sent to the following boating organizations or individuals. 1. Mr. Merlin Mills, Shoal Harbour, Trinity Bay 2. Mr. G. Brewer, Bay of Islands Yacht Club, Curling 3. Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club, Long Pond, Conception Bay South 4. Bay St. George Yacht Club, Stephenville 5. Mr. J. A. Voyer, Goose Bay 6. The Town of Holyrood 7. Superintendent, Terra Nova National Park 8. Mr. C. Mills, Clarenville - (No reply) 9. Mr. C. Dwyer, Grand Falls - (No reply) 10. Superintendent, Gros Morne National Park - 7 - Copies of replies that were received are included in Appendix B of this report. From information received the numbers of boats and wet berths are shown in Table I. The geographical location for each facility is shown on the map on page 8, TABLE I Projected No. Name of Pl ace No. of No. of Wet of Wet Berths or Facility Boats Berths Provided Required to 1985 1. Shoal Harbour 30 Nil 50 2. Bay of Islands Yacht Club 50 30 100 Curling 3. Royal Newfoundland Yacht 168 100 220 Club - Long Pond 4. Bay St. George Yacht Club 20 5 30 Stephenville 5. Goose Bay 60 25 60 6. Holyrood Marina 150 125 300 7. Terra Nova National Park Transients 30 30 (Salton's Brook) Totals 478 315 790 - 8 - rJ <> NEWFOUNDLAND MAJOR RECREATIONAL HARBOURS - 9 - Accordingly, there will be an additional 475 wet berths required to 1985. In addition there will be other areas of shortfall to 1985, e.g. Botwood, Placentia, where it is projected there will be .required 115 wet berths; for a total additional number of 600 wet berths required to 1985. The estimated costs of providing these berths is outlined in Section 7. The only involvement which the Federal Government has had to date in Newfoundland was at Holyrood {provision of breakwater and dredging, although today this development is as much a commercial fishing harbour as it is a recreational harbour); and the construction of two gravel surfaced access roads on the Avalon Peninsula for trailered boat owners to have better accessibility to inland fishing areas. Incidentally, these access roads have been turned over to the Provincial Department of Tourism for operation and maintenance. In projects developed by either the Provincial Government or Municipal Councils, some federal funding may have been injected through such agencies as OREE, or Canada Works. The development of facilities for recreational boating by the Province has been limited to the provision of launching ramps in some of the Provincial Parks. These ramps are of timber construction, or in some cases the terrain is suitable and the beach is used as the ramp. In other words, the expenditure has been quite minor, as is the maintenance. However, these facilities do serve a need in the summer months. In many localities around the Province local town councils have become involved in recent years in the development of recreational harbour facilities. - 10 - These developments have been confined to launching ramps for trailered boats, breastwork construction, and the provision of small docking facilities for boats up to about 25 - 30 feet. Usually these municipal projects have been completed with the aid of Provincial and/or Federal funding, either in the way of grants or special work programs. Since 1974 the Province has constructed fifteen (15) marine service centres in Newfoundland and Labrador, primarily for the use of commercial fishermen. Two more of these facilities are presently under construction. These service centres consist essentially of a lift-out service (Travelift) for boats up to 50 tons dead weight, and storage facilities. The storage area consists of an open space, usually paved, where fishing boats, usually longliners, can be stored for the winter months. The number of dry berths provided at each centre varies from 20 to 100, dependent on the concentration of longliners in that partic­ ular area.