ROSSPORT — The marina in Rossport will be closed to the public Dec. 4-10 to allow old fuel infrastructure to be removed.
The Rossport Harbour Non-Profit Marina Inc. is starting work for its marina revitalization project on Thursday.
The project will use operations revenues to pay for the removal of obsolete fuel tanks, dock fuel lines and fuel dispensers at the deep-water harbour over the course of five days.
“We are grateful for the support of Parks Canada to be able to complete many of the steps it has taken for us to get to this point,” said Philip Townsend, a board member and treasurer for the group.
The Rossport Marina is one of the few deep-water harbours along Lake Superior's north shore. It is found within the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area and is an essential destination for boaters and ecotourists.
Since 2013, the marina has not provided on-site fuel services after a Technical Standards and Safety Authority inspection identified deficiencies in the fuel dispensing equipment.
A strategic scoping plan made by community members and other stakeholders shortly after initiating the Rossport Marina Revitalization Project in 2021 made replacing this aging infrastructure a first priority.
In 2022, a structural assessment of the marina’s 60-year-old dock also found that it was “beyond its useful life” and needed either significant remediation or replacement.
“Any steps to improve the marina must begin with the removal of the out-of-date fuel equipment currently on the property,” said Cathy Collinson, president of the Rossport Marina.
