A lengthy report detailing costly repairs needed at the Colchester Harbour hasn't scared Essex Town Council away from a possible takeover.
Right now, it falls under federal jurisdiction, but recently, Ottawa has been considering off-loading some of its smaller harbours.
A takeover presents an attractive opportunity for town councillors eager to boost tourism, but taking it over could also be costly. The report says it will need $700,000 in maintenance in the next two years and $4.5-million in the next five to ten years.
However, councillor Larry Snively thinks if the federal government is serious about letting the town assume responsibility for it, it may be open to paying for those upgrades too.
"The federal government wants to get rid of these harbours. They want to get rid of them," says Snively. "And if they do the upgrades and we take it over, they wash their hands of the harbour."
Snively thinks it won't be a difficult argument to make.
"They had money available for the commercial end of the harbours," says Snively. "Now if you look at Colchester Harbour, there is commercial business running out of there, like all these charter boats in there. So, you know you can argue it is partly commercial industry in there too."
He says the next step for town council is to set up a meeting with Essex MP Tracey Ramsey to discuss how a transfer would take place.
- With files from Ricardo Veneza.
