Souris Harbour Authority buys former Ocean Choice plant

The Souris Harbour Authority Inc. will buy the former lobster processing plant at the Souris Food Park from OCI with plans to redevelop it.

It will be used as a cold storage, bioscience and seafood processing facility.

The North Lake fish plant, owned by two American businessmen, will expand into the facility, creating dozens oflobster and fish processing jobs.

Another U.S. subsidiary, the Centre forAquacultureTechnologies Canada, will create another 20 jobs developing products for fish farms and the aquaculture industry.

P.E.I.s Finance department will provide a $2-millionloan to assist with the purchase.

"It makes this asset work for the community and work for the businesses," said Gerry Gallant with Souris Harbour Authority.

SHAI chairman Denis Thibodeau said his groupwants the facility to expand their Eastern Cold Storage business. The redevelopment will double Souris Harbour's freezer operations and allow them to expand immediately.

In addition to the loan,SHAIwill also receive a $150,000 grant from the Island Community Fund to develop the cold storage space.

Demand for bait freezing for fishers and industry cold storage has increased and SHAI's current freezer operations are spoken for.

SHAIs freezer operations now provide storage for blueberries, seafood and lobster products, and bait.

"The Harbour Authority is pleased that it is playing a key role in revitalizing and repurposing this facility," Thibodeau said.

"Souris Harbour Industries will be a multi-tenant facility that brings new business to the Souris Food Park."

SHAI expects the facility to be fully occupied by summer, 2015.

Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allen Roach said since Ocean Choice Inc. had closed the province has been interested in seeing the facility being used. OCI employed 300 people. It closed in 2011.

"This facility is a potentially great economic resource and will employ Islanders and create economic activity in Eastern Kings County," Roach said.

"Government shut the plant down and put 300 workers out of work here and the plant sat idle for three years, so today is a good announcement,"said fisheries critic Colin Lavie.