Port Saint John will get its $205M upgrade, Rick Doucet says
Opportunities N.B. minister says he is confident port project will proceed despite federal funding confusion
Opportunities New Brunswick Minister Rick Doucet said he is confident the Port of Saint John will get the money it needs for a $205-million container terminal upgrade.
In separate funding announcements weeks apart last summer, the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper and the Brian Gallant's provincial government each announced $68.3 million for an expansion of the port's west side facilities.
But questions have since come to light about whether the federal government's portion of the funding was actually secured.
It's currently listed as a funding consideration in the final stages of a project review, Doucet said Thursday in an interview on Information Morning Saint John.
Doucet, who is a Saint John-area MLA, said "due diligence is still underway," but noted the project's fate looks promising.
"At this point, after having some talks with our folks, and I know the discussions taking place with [Saint John MP] Wayne Long, it'll come through at some point in time," Doucet said.
"I'm not sure when, but I would say in time for the folks to get at the job."
The port proposal would see the Rodney and Navy Island terminals on the city's west side consolidated and upgraded to be able to accommodate larger vessels, as well as an increase in container traffic.
The project is expected to break ground in 2017.
City market 'lightning rod'
The funding confusion set off a domino effect, Doucet said, that triggered "the big lightning rod" dispute surrounding the Saint John City Market upgrades.
Mayor Mel Norton suggested last week that the provincial government has been dragging its heels on a request for $2 million to match similar funding for the market from the city and the federal government.
Usually you stand up in an infrastructure announcement with three parties shoulder to shoulder … but in this case the feds wanted to do it on their own.- Opportunities New Brunswick Minister Rick Doucet
Norton said the city would not push the provincial government for money on other projects, such as a new field house, until funds can be found to repair and renovate the 140-year-old-building.
But Doucet says the $2 million in funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency was also announced before the federal election.
"We want to make sure if we're going to put our $2 million into that, we want to make sure there's $2 million coming down from the federal government and we don't have that in clear writing yet," he said.
"Usually you stand up in an infrastructure announcement with three parties shoulder to shoulder … but in this case the feds wanted to do it on their own."
Even with a cautious approach, Doucet said the Gallant government is supportive of the market rehabilitation project.
"This is an iconic treasure of New Brunswick … It's on my radar screen, it's on Wayne Long's radar screen and the premier's screen," said Doucet.
"There's just been a bit of noise with the market now, we want to make sure that's in place, and I think everybody should be focused and make sure that amount of money is solid, and let's go on to these other projects."
The Saint John City Market needs a new roof, windows and a complete makeover of its tower building after it was badly damaged by flooding in January 2014.
Work is already underway to install a new elevator and escalator linking the market to the pedway system.
With files from Information Morning Saint John