OTTAWA — The federal government has announced funding to repair the breakwater at the small craft harbour in Fortune and to dredge the harbour basin at the small craft harbour in Burin, projects intended to shore up marine infrastructure that supports local fisheries and the ferry link to St. Pierre et Miquelon.
Fortune breakwater to be rebuilt for resilience
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson confirmed the investments on Aug. 2, saying the work in Fortune will strengthen and improve the breakwater at the harbour entrance. The upgraded structure is meant to enhance long-term resilience by reducing wave action and creating calmer waters within the harbour.
Officials say a reconstructed breakwater will better protect vessels and harbour infrastructure from severe weather and high wave conditions, while helping to ensure continued operation of critical marine services, including the ferry service to the French territory of St. Pierre et Miquelon.
Dredging in Burin to restore navigational depths
The project in Burin will involve dredging accumulated sediment from the harbour basin to restore safe navigational depths. Maintaining reliable access for commercial fishing vessels is the stated purpose, intended to support harvesters in landing catches and to improve the safe movement of vessels in and out of the harbour.
Both projects are scheduled to proceed in 2027, with the dredging in Burin expected to be completed the same year.
What local users can expect
The federal announcement emphasises several practical aims of the work:
- Reduce wave action and create calmer, safer waters within Fortune Harbour;
- Protect vessels, harbour infrastructure and ferry operations;
- Restore safe navigational depths in Burin to support commercial fishing activity.
For communities along the Burin Peninsula, small-craft harbours are lifelines — supporting commercial fish harvesters, inshore transport, recreational boating and tourism. The Fortune harbour, in particular, plays an outsized role because it serves as a transportation hub for the ferry to St. Pierre et Miquelon, in addition to local fisheries.
| Project | Location | Main aim | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakwater repair and reconstruction | Fortune | Strengthen harbour entrance; reduce wave action; protect ferry and vessels | Start in 2027 |
| Harbour basin dredging | Burin | Restore navigational depths; improve vessel access for fishers | Expected completion in 2027 |
Local impact and context
Rebuilding breakwaters and dredging basins are routine tools in coastal infrastructure maintenance, but their importance cannot be overstated in Newfoundland and Labrador, where storms and shifting sediment can quickly erode harbour utility. An effective breakwater reduces the energy of incoming waves, protecting moored vessels and onshore facilities. Dredging restores depth lost to sedimentation, ensuring larger and fully laden fishing vessels can enter and exit safely.
For residents and businesses in Fortune and Burin, the federal investment is likely to mean fewer weather-related disruptions at the harbour entrance, safer berthing, and continued certainty around the ferry service that connects southwestern Newfoundland with St. Pierre et Miquelon — a short hop with outsized cultural and economic significance for the region.
What we don’t yet know
The announcement does not include detailed cost figures, a precise construction timetable beyond the 2027 window, nor a breakdown of how work will be staged to minimise disruption to harbour operations. Municipal officials and harbour authorities will likely be involved in planning and contracting as designs are finalised.
Still, the projects reflect a broader federal focus on maintaining and modernizing small craft harbours across Canada — an investment that in Newfoundland and Labrador often translates directly into safer working conditions for fish harvesters and more reliable transportation links for coastal communities.
Local stakeholders will be watching the next steps closely as project design, procurement and scheduling are finalised ahead of the 2027 construction season.
