East Ferry Harbour Authority Awarded DFO Prix d'Excellence

EAST FERRY, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - April 7, 2016) - Colin Fraser, Member of Parliament for West Nova, on behalf of the Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, awarded the Harbour Authority of East Ferry with Fisheries and Oceans Canada's National Environmental Stewardship Prix d'Excellence.

The Government of Canada is pleased to recognize the leadership of the Harbour Authority of East Ferry, which has been instrumental in organizing the cleanup of the harbour area and the site of a former fish plant, and the efforts of local students, who contributed as part of their community projects. As a result, the harbour is in safe and operational condition for users.

For the cleanup, the Harbour Authority of East Ferry obtained funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Small Craft Harbours Program. It also received assistance from two outside organizations: The Clean Foundation, a non-profit, environmental non-government organization; and Waste Check, the authority responsible for solid waste management in Nova Scotia's western region. Support was also received from the municipality, local businesses, schools and residents.

Quick Facts

• The Prix d'Excellence is awarded annually to celebrate the exemplary contributions of harbour authorities to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Small Craft Harbours Program. The award recognizes teams and individuals who have made significant contributions to local harbours and their communities.
• The National Environmental Stewardship Prix d'Excellence nominees are judged on their commitment to the environment as evidenced by an initiative or service that has produced measurable, positive change or has succeeded in addressing or mitigating an environmental issue at their harbours.

Quotes

"I congratulate the leadership of the Harbour Authority of East Ferry and all involved for their invaluable service on behalf of the community. They have earned this award which recognizes the Authority's invaluable contribution to the local fishing community. The efforts of these volunteers exemplify the dedication and hard work that members of harbour authorities across Canada demonstrate every day."

- The Honourable Hunter Tootoo, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"We led this project, true, but we couldn't have done it without the help of the community at large. So we accept this award on behalf of the schools, municipal government and local businesses, to name a few."

- Dianne Theriault, Director of the Harbour Authority of East Ferry and recipient of the Prix d'Excellence

"It was truly a community effort and we want to celebrate this honour with the many people that were involved. And as a fish harvester, I'm very pleased to see our harbour cleaner, safer and more open for business."

- Matthew Theriault, President of the Board of Directors, Harbour Authority of East Ferry, and recipient of the Prix d'Excellence

Associated Links

For more information about the Prix d'Excellence and about submitting nominations for future awards, visit this site.

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