Government of Canada investing nearly $1 billion to strengthen small craft harbours
Press Release
From: Department of Finance Canada
May 12, 2026 – Cap-Lumière, New Brunswick – Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Small craft harbours are vital infrastructure for coastal and rural communities across Canada. From Atlantic lobster wharves to Pacific fishing ports and Northern marine access points, these harbours connect harvesters to markets, sustain local businesses, and support thousands of middle-class jobs. Canada’s commercial fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors support nearly 65,000 jobs — including more than 42,900 commercial fish harvesters — from coast to coast to coast. In 2025, Canada’s fish and seafood exports totaled $8.47 billion, underscoring the sector’s critical role in Canada’s economy and food security.
As part of the Spring Economic Update 2026, the Government of Canada is proposing $957.8 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, for the Small Craft Harbours Program. This historic investment will support the repair, modernization, and climate resilience of core harbour infrastructure and is in addition to DFO’s existing annual program budget of approximately $90 million.
Today, in Cap-Lumière, New Brunswick, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue and the Honourable Dominic Leblanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, highlighted this investment from the Spring Economic Update in Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Small Craft Harbours Program.
The funding will allow DFO to undertake repairs, upgrades and dredging at small craft harbour facilities across Canada. Repairs will be carried out using the latest climate projections, which will result in climate resistant infrastructure that meets the needs of the commercial fishing industry and community.
In Cap-Lumière Harbour, the funding will allow for advanced planning and reconstruction of the marginal wharf (404). Cap-Lumière Harbour is home to approximately 50 commercial harvesters and plays an essential role in the region’s lobster fishery, one of the economic drivers of New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula.
As Canada transforms from economic reliance to resilience, investments in harbour infrastructure are helping protect livelihoods, strengthen supply chains, and support coastal communities for generations to come. With this investment, we’re helping build Canada strong, for all.
Quotes
“All along our coasts there is a spirit of hard work and community lives within our small craft harbours. They are more than infrastructure, they are a foundation for coastal communities, where over five million Canadians live, sustaining Indigenous traditions, and powering thousands of jobs in the fish and seafood industry. That is why through the Spring Economic Update 2026 we are investing almost $1 billion to repair and strengthen these vital harbours. Because when we invest in these places, we invest in the people who depend on them.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue
“Small craft harbours are more than just infrastructure in Atlantic Canada — they are the backbone of coastal communities, supporting fish harvesters, local businesses, and regional economic growth. Through the Spring Economic Update of 2026, we are making targeted investments to strengthen these vital hubs, creating good jobs, and ensuring Atlantic Canada remains a driving force in Canada’s economy for generations to come.”
– The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy
“Small craft harbours are the working backbone of coastal communities in Canada. This is the largest investment ever made in small craft harbours, reaffirming this new government’s commitment to coastal communities, helping bring Canadian product to market. Harvesters depend on them, and the communities around them depend on harvesters. This funding will keep harbours safe and operational across the country, so rural and coastal economies stay strong and resilient for the long haul.”
– The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries
Related products
- Spring Economic Update 2026: Canada Strong for All
- Spring Economic Update 2026: Key Measures
- Spring Economic Update 2026: Address by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue
Contacts
Media may contact:
Ira Khedkar
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Fisheries
Ira.khedkar@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
John Fragos
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue
john.fragos@fin.gc.ca
Media Relations
Department of Finance Canada
613-369-4000
mediare@fin.gc.ca
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