Public Notice

November 24th, 2022 – Transport Canada must determine whether the proposed defense system upgrade, located at the Cap-aux-Meules wharf is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this determination, Transport Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public [and may be posted online]. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by December 24th, 2022 to: aea-eaa@tc.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Cap-aux-Meules Wharf is an important infrastructure for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine Islands region. It includes the facilities of the ferry service which provides the maritime link between Cap-aux-Meules (Quebec) and Souris (Prince Edward Island) for the transport of passenger vehicles, trucks, commercial vehicles, and other road vehicles, as well as bicycles and pedestrians. The current project aims to upgrade the defense system and is divided into two sectors of intervention, the sector of pier no. 2 and pier no.11.

Since its installation, the defense system of pier no. 2 has been damaged several times and it currently doesn't adequately meet the operational needs of large ships that moor at the wharf. Repairs are required quickly to limit the damage and the impact on operations.

Regular monitoring of the installations at pier no. 11, which are almost 45 years old, have shown signs of advanced degradation. In addition, the existing system does not have the capacity required for the safe docking of the current vessel, the NM CTMA-Voyageur 2. Thus, the replacement of the fender system must be carried out in the short term.

The work planned at piers no.2 and no. 11 will meet current needs without resorting to operational restrictions while keeping them safe and efficient. The wharves will be adequately protected from damage that may be caused by ships' mooring and which could have an impact on operations. System maintenance costs will be reduced because of the work.

Pier no.2

- dismantling of the existing panel defenses,

- preparation of the sheet pile wall,

- concreting of extra thicknesses and buttresses,

- installation of docking defenses.

Pier no.11

- dismantling the existing panel defenses,

- dismantling bollard B22,

- demolition of the base of the buttress and bush-hammering,

- concreting of extra thicknesses and buttresses,

- repositioning bollard B22,

- installation of docking defenses.

The work is scheduled for the summer of 2023 until the fall of 2023.