Promotional pamphlet
Local management
Local decisions
Local governance
Local impact
This tool has been created for Harbour Authorities to promote their work. We encourage you to:
- Edit the pamphlet to include the name of your HA and your contact information
- Keep some printed copies on hand
- Share these when meeting municipalities, partners, prospective volunteers, etc
- Think of ways this pamphlet can be useful in your recruitment and retention efforts
- Share broadly: within your HA and externally as well
About
Did you know? Small craft harbours across Canada are managed and maintained mostly by volunteers, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Small craft harbours are the heart of many communities and the fishing industry. Owned by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), they are managed by harbour authorities, representing the local population. We are incorporated, not-for-profit organizations. Our Board of Directors and members are volunteers. We represent the needs of our harbour users and our community's interest. We collaborate with DFO's Small Craft Harbours Program to ensure the continued success and well-being of our local harbours.
Who we are
Our Board of Directors are typically composed of fish harvesters, representatives of municipalities, Indigenous peoples, entrepreneurs, industry workers and family members. We serve as ambassadors of our coastal communities and are proud of the work accomplished. We are motivated by our sense of duty, and by the contributions and accomplishments we make in communities.
We represent over 5,000 volunteers across the country.
- The harbour authority program in numbers:
- 560 harbour authorities
- 700 harbours managed by HAs
- 200,000 volunteering hours = 100 full-time positions
- 1988: Creation of the Harbour Authority Program
- 2001: Creation of the National Harbour Authority Advisory Council
- 2008: Creation of the Harbour Authority Recognition Program
What we do
Harbour authorities play a vital role in the economic and social life of many communities that depend on local harbour facilities.
- We are responsible for managing, operating and maintaining one or more public fishing harbours through a lease agreement with the Small Craft Harbours program
- We provide services to harbour users
- We keep harbour facilities in good repair by performing inspections and repairs
- We establish and enforce rules and harbour policies
- We keep the wharf and property tidy and free of hazards
- We are responsible for allocating berthage and collecting fees from users to cover operation costs. Fees collected are reinvested in the harbour
Our impact on the community
As harbour authorities, we play many important roles:
- Voices
- We are a voice for our harbour and its users. Composed of members of the local population, we understand the needs and realities of the harbour, and what's best for our users
- Champions
- We champion and foster positive working relationships. We work with governments, municipalities, other harbour authorities, the industry, fishers associations and community organizations
- Connectors
- We bring people together. We create a sense of belonging in the region
- Leaders
- We help ensure decisions are made locally. We ensure that decisions concerning the planning, operation and maintenance of harbour facilities reflect local needs and aspirations.
- Innovators
- We are innovators and change agents. We often carry out development projects that can benefit the region
Get in touch with your local harbour
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