Breakwater Upgrade at the Port La Tour Small Craft Harbour, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia

The proposed project involves upgrading the existing breakwater with the installation of a rock revetment on an exposed section along its seaward face at the Port La Tour Small Craft Harbour.  The substructure of the breakwater consists of a core stone berm with a vertical stone wall along its exterior face.  The surface includes a 6 m-wide reinforced concrete deck and spray wall.  The deck serves as a travel surface and provides access to rigid and floating wharves and is protected by shore protection revetments on its seaward side.  The breakwater is constructed to an elevation of approximately 3.75 m above chart datum and orientated in an ell configuration, with the stem measuring approximately 132 m long and a 58 m-long ell offset from the stem by approximately 35 degrees into the harbour basin. 

 

The outer ell section of the breakwater, being in deeper water and more exposed, is protected by a rock revetment along its exterior face.  The inner stem section is afforded some protection from four small islands to the southeast and is mostly unprotected along its seaward face, with the exception of a 40 m-long section of rip rap at the shoreline interface.  The stem is completely exposed to incident waves from the east and northeast storm directions and these waves, along with long period and high-energy refraction waves from the southeast direction, result in overtopping during extreme storm events.

 

The new rock revetment will project out from the shore end of the stem a distance of approximately 48 m to join the armour stone on the ell section.  The new revetment will include a core stone berm with side slopes shaped at 1.5:1.  The outer layers will be constructed using imported filter and armour stone to ensure long-term durability and protection against erosion.  The armour stone layer will be extended and toed into the existing substrate for scour protection.  The new rock revetment will be constructed to an elevation of 5.0 m above chart datum.

 

The project will be delivered using a traditional design–bid–build model; however, the construction methodology will not be explicitly prescribed in the contract.  Based on the existing harbour configuration, construction is anticipated to be carried out using land-based methods, with equipment such as loaders, excavators, and trucks operating from upland areas under dry conditions.  The new revetment will be comprised of layers of imported core, filter, and armour stone.  Minimal demolition or removal is expected, limited to localized modifications of the existing rip rap at the shoreline interface to allow placement of core stone for a temporary access road along the outer face of the breakwater.

 

Construction activities are anticipated to commence in summer 2026 and be completed by the end of March 2027.  Project commencement is, however, subject to DFO-SCH operational priorities and funding, as well as the completion of regulatory approval processes, therefore work may be delayed.  The scope of the impact assessment (subject to the Impact Assessment Act) will, therefore, be based on the works being completed over a period of 3 months commencing within a period of 5 years following finalization of the assessment. 

 

Port La Tour SCH has been developed to support the commercial fishery, which is a main economic driver for the community.  The main purpose of this project is to carry out upgrades of the existing infrastructure so that the harbour can operate safely and continue to serve the fishing industry.

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Latest update

End of Public Comment Period

April 2, 2026 – The public comment period on the project is closed. The Small Craft Harbours and Fish and Fish Habitat Protection programs of Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as Transport Canada are considering comments received to date to inform its determination on whether carrying out of the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Key documents

Key documents
Document number Document title File Date
2 End of Public Comment Period - April 2, 2026
1 Notice of Intent to Make a Determination – Start of Public Comment Period - March 2, 2026

Contacts

Planning and Environment Group
Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Small Craft Harbours, Maritimes and Gulf Regions
343 University Avenue
Gulf Fisheries Centre
Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 5K4
Email: DFO.SCHMGEnvironment-MGEnvironnementPPB.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca


Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

  • Location

    • Port La Tour Small Craft Harbour (Nova Scotia)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Ports and Harbours

  • Assessment Status

    In progress

  • Start Date

    2026-03-02

  • Proponent

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Small Craft Harbours

  • Authorities

    • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    • Transport Canada

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    90269

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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