Video – Federal Government Kicks in $5-Million to Help with Cobourg’s Breakwaters and Seawall
By Cecilia Nasmith/Northumberland 89.7 FM/Today’s Northumberland
That steep price tag for rebuilding the Cobourg harbour breakwaters and the Monk’s Cove Park seawall isn’t quite so scary after Tuesday’s announcement of a $5-million boost from Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
With the harbour as background, the announcement was made at the Cobourg Marina by Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel Erskine-Smith – who sported a new tie patterned with the Cobourg tartan as a gift from Mayor Lucas Cleveland. With $5-million coming from the fund and the town’s own investment, there will be $19.5-million for this important work.
“This fund is vital for all sorts of reasons, but it is incredibly vital to protect the shoreline at the Monk’s Cove seawall and here at the harbour,” Erskine-Smith pointed out.
The partnership with the town is a key factor in ensuring the work gets done, he continued.
“We are most effective at getting things done together. None of this happens if we are not at the table together.”
Appearing on the same day the US imposed ruinous tariffs on Canada, the minister referred to the partnerships between the premiers and the Prime Minister as this country finds effective ways to respond.
“When we receive threats from abroad, we need to make sure we are strong here at home. Ultimately, in many ways, that comes down to infrastructure,” he said.
“We are going to wake up years from now and it will have had a long-term impact on the community in a positive way.”
Cleveland recalled that, during the 2022 campaign in which he was elected, “one of the most consistent questions we received from residents is what is council going to do to preserve and protect our harbour.”
He praised it as a place to appreciate nature, a place to learn to sail, a place that is home to the Coast Guard for their vital work, an asset that attracts guests to the community.
It’s an historic harbour that was once a commercial hub that brought growth and vitality to the community, the mayor related. As the economy evolved, it became a strong component of the town’s tourism strategy.
Now, he said, both the Monk’s Cove seawall and harbour breakwater are compromised at a time when rising water levels are also a challenge. And advancing these projects is not at all feasible, he stated, without outside funding.
“Your support through this critical infrastructure investment will be instrumental to the continued prosperity and safety of our community,” Cleveland said.
Asked about a timeline for the work, Chief Administrative Officer Tracey Vaughan said that each project involves consultation, working with Indigenous partners to ensure they are aware and in support, archaeological exploration and habitat-protection measures (including avoiding critical spawning seasons). In the end, these works are done over a number of years.
Director of Community Services Brain Geerts noted that that the design for the harbour breakwater was tendered in 2022 so that design is complete. It came in over budget, so they set out to find partners and additional funding.
Monk’s Cove, so far, has only a couple of concept designs for the reconstruction of a stone wall, with detailed engineering yet to come.
However, Cleveland said, work at the harbour will not affect it for this season.
Supporting shovel-ready projects that can proceed quickly is the best way to encourage the kind of stimulus that results in jobs and prosperity, Erskine-Smith said, “and this is a pretty good example of it.”
The mayor expanded on the discussion of partnerships, noting that he will be heading to Washington this week in his role as national co-chair of the mayors’ commission on economic initiatives for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, of which Cobourg was a founding member. The organization now represents more than 200 municipalities and Indigenous communities on these shores on both sides of the border working toward water equity and shoreline protection, with a focus on economic opportunities.
Cleveland said that the GDP of all these communities, if combined, would exceed the GDP of every country in the world except for the US and China.
