'Lease on life for the community': Bay de Verde fish plant rebuild on schedule

Things are looking up in Bay de Verde, where a sign says the Quinlan Brothers fish plant will be "back in April 2017."

• Out of the ashes: In Bay de Verde, 3 months makes all the difference
• QuinlanBros. says new Bay de Verde crab plant to be ready next year

The raging fire and smoke billowing out of theplant lastApril had turned the sky an apocalyptic grey, and left dozens of workers unsure of their future.

But now Mayor Gerard Murphy says with the speedy reconstruction of the plant, skies are blue.

"I look at it as a lease on life for the community," said Murphy.

Murphy said the fishery is "the backbone of the economy" and dates back to the 1600s.

"This breathes new life into the community people are much more at ease now knowing that they will have that place of employment to head to when the season starts this spring."

'You can only imagine the shock'

Residents of the small fishing community of about 400 awoke on the morning of April 11 to seethick smoke streaming from the Quinlan Brothers fish plant.

"Economically it was devastating for Bay de Verde, and the surrounding area, and many other communities throughout the province," Murphy said.

"When a fire wipes out that many jobs in the course of 10 or 12 hours, you can only imagine the shock and dismay and the fear."

After the fire, the company promised that they would indeed rebuildand the plant would be "bigger and better than ever."

A 'way forward'

Marco, an Atlantic Canada construction company, is rebuilding the plant and work is underway.

If the plant wasn't there, they'd have to move away.- Stan Walsh, Bay de Verde resident

Plant Manager Barry Hatch has confirmed thatthe workis on schedule to be ready for the 2017 season.

In the meantime, the town is eagerly watching the new plant rising from the ashes of the old.

"Most of the people here were fishermen, that's all they did was fish. So if the plant wasn't there, they'd have to move away," said Stan Walsh, a resident of Bay de Verde.

"It's gonna be a way forward, not only for Bay de Verde, but for Trinity Shore, all the way to Carbonear and Bay Roberts and past that."