This summer will be a crucial one for the proposed Goderich port expansion, as the corporation makes its formal submission for over $32 million in federal funding.
The Goderich Port Management Corporation GPMC) has been looking to expand by 11-acres, a project which last year was estimated to cost around $70 million.
In an update to Goderich council this week, GPMC President Frank Hurkmans said the application was now to the National Trade Corridor Diversification Fund instead of the National Trade Corridors Fund, so there was some tweaking to be done.
"That submission will be formally placed in July of this year," he told council. "We are just going through the excercise of updating our letters of support, the people who might be doing business down there and the economic benefit of these people doing business down there. Really what you want to do at the end of the day is tell the right story that justifies the benefit from an economic impact."
Mayor Trevor Bazinet told council that Bruce County Warden Luke Charbonneau has also been working to collect letters of support for the project, noting the benefit for the entire region.
Hurkmans also filled council told council their application for provincial funding was recently denied.
The GPMC was looking for support from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund to help cover the cost of the over $3 million refurbishment of the agri-dome.
"We were unsuccessful in that fund, I found that out last week," he said. "We're doing some post-decision analysis on that, on how we could have done better. Really, what it came down to was, is the covering of the agri-dome being replaced or was it a new project exercise?"
Hurkmans said the project is still set to move forward this summer. Tenders will be awarded shortly and the work is slated to start around June 15.
