Canada Rebuilds Miminegash Harbour to Boost Coastal Fishing Resilience

26 October 2026
Edited By: Haley McQueen

Small craft harbors are vital infrastructure that support Canada's commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors, helping sustain coastal communities and local economies from coast to coast to coast. Together, Canada's fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing industries support nearly 65,000 jobs and generated $8.47 billion in seafood exports in 2025.

The Honorable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, and Robert Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, are announcing a major construction project at Miminegash Small Craft Harbor in Prince Edward Island (PEI). This includes the reconstruction of the two southern breakwater structures (306 and 308), the shoreline protection structure (603), and the wharf (414). This work will improve safety, reliability, and climate resilience for harvesters and harbor users.

This project will help make sure the harbor can continue to support the local fishing industry while creating jobs during construction.

This investment builds on the Government of Canada’s commitment announced in the 2026 Spring Economic Update, which is to invest nearly $1 billion over five years to repair, maintain, and modernize small craft harbors across the country. This funding will support harbor repairs, dredging, and make harbor infrastructure more resilient to changing environmental conditions and extreme weather.

Safe and reliable harbors are vital to the success of Prince Edward Island’s fishing industry and the communities that depend on them. The funding announced in the 2026 Spring Economic Update will strengthen Canada’s competitiveness and economic growth while supporting the communities that depend on these harbors. As Canada transforms from economic reliance to resilience, investments in small craft harbors will support local economic development for generations to come.

“Small craft harbors are the very heart of Prince Edward Island’s coastal communities. They are critical infrastructure for local economies, like the community of Miminegash. By investing in the future of Miminegash small craft harbor, we are making it safer for fish harvesters and their crew members,” said the Honorable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries.

“We all know that the fishery is an extremely significant part of our Island economy. Making sure that commercial harvesters have the best possible infrastructure to earn a living and make their great contribution to our communities is of vital importance,” said Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont.

Located on Prince Edward Island’s western shore, Miminegash small craft harbor is the homeport to roughly 41 commercial fishing vessels and crews. It serves as a core base for commercial fishing fleets, most notably during the vital fall lobster season.

In 2025, commercial lobster fishery landings in Miminegash harbor amounted to a total value of more than $10 million, which supports local processing plants, equipment suppliers, and transportation businesses in western Prince Edward Island.

Funding under the 2026 Spring Economic Update is supporting necessary harbor maintenance and repairs across Canada, including in Prince Edward Island. In Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec, harbor repairs and modernization began under the federal Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund and Budget 2024.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages close to 935 harbors valued at approximately $7.1 billion—infrastructure that supports the landing of roughly 90 percent of Canada’s fish products and underpins the country’s seafood economy.