This weekend’s 40 knot south gales proved no contest for the new Souris Harbour Breakwater. The newly constructed 475 meter rubble mound (rock) breakwater faced its first trial on Saturday and demonstrated its strong wave breaking capabilities. Port Manager and Fisherman, Art MacDonald said that before reconstruction, fishermen could tell what seas they could expect on the strait by looking at the wave spillage over the breakwater. Now, upon completion, the new breakwater is so much larger and higher only limited viewing of wave action from inside the new sea wall is possible.

The 2007, $4 million reconstruction of the rubble mound breakwater involved the supply and placement of 49,000 metric tonnes of new larger amour stone that provides a refortified breakwater that will protect the harbour into the next century. Zutphen Contractors used the 100 metre vessel M.V. Yankcanuck which took eleven trips to Souris carrying armour stone as large as 16 tonne each from Nova Scotia.

The project began mid-July and will be fully completed by the end of October. Funding for the repairs came from the Transport Canada Contribution received by the Authority in March, 2006 when the Souris Harbour and Port was transferred to the Souris Harbour Authority Inc. (SHAI) from the federal government.

“The Authority is pleased to be able to fully meet its commitment to Transport Canada to repair the breakwater as part of the transfer of the port and harbour, says Denis Thibodeau, Chairman of SHAI. Also, SHAI is pleased to invest in a Souris River Enhancement Project which forms part of SHAI’s environmental compliance with this project”.

Brian MacPhee is Chairman of the Authority’s Capital Committee overseeing the project. “As a Souris Fisherman, and SHAI board member, I am very pleased with the new breakwater. We have a larger seawall with much larger armour stone which fully meets and exceeds our design specifications providing safe haven for all port users into the next century”. The design by East Point Engineering specified withstanding any predicted worst storm over the next 100 years.

The Souris Breakwater has been in service for the last 120 years and has undergone a number of repairs and reconstruction. The facility is a vital part of the infrastructure of the Souris Port and Harbour. The Breakwater protects the harbour and all facilities (Ferry, Marina, Fishing, Shipping and Coast Guard station) within the harbour.

For further information

Gerry Gallant
(902)687-1278
Cell (902)628-9870
Project Manager
Souris Harbour Authority Inc.

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