Public notice

Replacement of mooring bollards at Quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1) in the port of Cap-aux-Meules, Quebec – Public Comments Invited

June 7, 2024 - The authority must determine whether the proposed project Replacement of mooring bollards at the quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1), located at the port of Cap-aux-Meules, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

In order to contribute to an informed determination, the authority invites the public to comment on this determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be published online.

Written comments may be submitted by July 8, 2024 to :

Environmental and Aboriginal Affairs - Quebec Region

E-mail: aea-eaa@tc.gc.ca 

The proposed project

The quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1) is frequently used by cruise ships, barges and tugs unloading stone and aggregates, oil tankers supplying the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, and vessels operated by the Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien (CTMA) on certain occasions. The tanker dock was built as part of a major port improvement project in 1971. It consists of five reinforced concrete caissons placed end to end to give a total length of 147.5 m, including the transition zone with the commercial wharf. The width of the quay is 12.3 m. The current 30-tonne bollards consist of a cast-iron head, concrete foundation and tie rods.

Mooring bollards B86 and B94 on the quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1) in the port of Cap-aux-Meules no longer have adequate load-bearing capacity for vessels mooring there in high winds. Surveys have been carried out in the past, and it has been recommended that the bollards be rebuilt.

The aim of this project is to replace the two 30-ton bollards at quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1) with 75-ton bollards.

Implementation of the project will enable the quai des Pétroliers (Dock no. 1) to meet current needs without recourse to operational restrictions, while keeping it safe and efficient. The new bollards will enable efficient berthing for ships docking there, and will have a positive impact on port operations.

The work includes :

- Site mobilization and organization;

- Removal of existing bollard heads;

- Demolition of upper part of existing bases;

- Reconstruction of bases with new bollard anchors;

- Installation of new 30-ton bollard heads.

No in-water work is planned for this project. Work is scheduled for fall 2024.