Gibsons and Egmont harbours will be splitting $1.4 million with three other B.C. harbours for improvements, the federal government announced this week.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans' (DFO) small craft harbours program funding will go toward a study for a potential floating breakwater in Gibsons. The Egmont portion will fund repairs and improvements.
"We've wanted some sort of an expansion or realignment for a long time," said Gibsons Landing Harbour Authority manager Bill Oakford. "Ultimately the goal would be more docks."
The harbour is full and has a waiting list of 120 boats waiting to getting in, he said. He noted other marinas in Gibsons have similar wait lists.
"This by no way means that there will be an expansion; this money is for a study to be done to determine where we'll go from there."
The study will analyse the area's wind and wave climate and make recommendations on a location for a breakwater. As well, other breakwater structures in the harbour would be assessed and a future layout looked at.
The Egmont project will repair handrails, tie-rails, deck planks, piles and float flanges, address the float mooring system and install mooring components with an extended design to reduce future maintenance costs, according to a DFO press release.
"I think it's significant for the community," said Sunshine Coast Regional District chair and Pender Harbour/Egmont director John Rees. "It's repairs that have been needed for a long time." He noted whereas usually small communities seem to "fall between the cracks" for federal funding, now finally some small communities on the Coast are seeing federal funding support.
