Ocean Choice is in the regulatory stages of a proposed development in Long Pond that could see the development of new land, an appoximate 90-metre wharf, as well as the construction of a new cold storage facility. Since the beginning of August, Ocean Choice has been soliciting feedback and input relating to its proposed development plan for Long Pond Harbour from interested parties in the area. In response to this input and further regulatory guidance, the Company has adjusted the plan for its Long Pond Harbour development.
Overview of Updated Development Plan
The project is located on the southern portion of the Long Pond Port, off Terminal Road in an existing commercial area. Ocean Choice’s adjusted plan will see the development moved southwest in the harbour towards Terminal Road, the existing commercial area of the harbour.
The Company’s proposed development will see just over 1.7 hectares of new land developed that will house:
- 90-metre long marginal wharf;
- Laydown and parking area;
- Cold storage building infrastructure (approximately 36,000 ft²).
- 43 foot-high building
Key updates to the plan are as follows:
- Removed just over 32 ft. (10 m.) from the east side of the development, providing recreational boaters with an approximate 100 ft. (30.1 m.) marked channel for safe navigation. The channel will be as deep as the existing channel.
- Removed 78 ft. (24 m.) from the northeast side of the development, providing additional navigation on this side of the development.
- Moved the access road to the property back towards the southern portion of the Harbour – an area that is not currently being utilized due to shallow water depths.
- Changed the angle of the proposed wharf to provide additional clearance between Ocean Choice’s property and the adjacent property.
Proposed Cold Storage Building
Possible design being considered for the cold storage infrastructure which could continue to be refined
As part of Ocean Choice’s updated development plan, the Company has unveiled the possible design for the cold storage facility, where the Company will store its frozen-at-sea product from five of its offshore fishing vessels. The building has been designed by a local, professional architect firm. The proposed building has a modern, nautical look and feel to highlight Newfoundland and Labrador’s cultural connection with the ocean and the fishery.
Click to enlarge
*Possible design being considered for the cold storage infrastructure which could continue to be refined
Current Status
Ocean Choice received approval under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA) on December 22, 2020 for the Company’s proposed development in Long Pond Harbour.
We want to hear from you!
Ocean Choice is committed to being open and accessible. This begins with taking your questions and comments, and providing you with a way to engage with us on what matters to you.
Submit your questions below and we will post the answers.
What activity will you expect to see?
Five offshore fishing vessels will land each month:
- Approximately, four shipments of frozen seafood will be trucked from the facility per day.
- On average a vessel will take two to three days to offload. Offloading is carried out with the use of a forklift.
- Four to five delivery trucks per vessel, per turn around for fueling, food and supply delivery.
- Changeover of crew members.
- Vessel landing and offloading as well as cold storage operations and the shipment of frozen product will occur on Terminal Road — the commercial side of the harbour.
Cold storage operations are very different than operating a fish plant. Many seafood cold storage facilities in Newfoundland and Labrador are located within the heart of the community with minimal disruption to community life and are similar to the operation of other food cold storage facilities.
How a seafood cold storage facility operates: Frozen-at-sea product is offloaded from offshore fishing vessels and stored at the cold storage facility in its frozen state until the product is shipped to global markets. No processing takes place at the cold storage facility, resulting in no odour.
The proposed development is currently going through rigorous regulatory reviews and approvals with the appropriate regulatory bodies with the federal, provincial and municipal governments. We are committed to working with the proper authorities and we will adhere to any mitigation measures identified through this process. As part of our planning for the development, we are committed to safety and mitigating potential impacts. We are working with a third-party engineering firm to review currents, tidal activity and ice flow. The results of this work will be shared with interested parties.
We understand the importance of maintaining access to the channel for those who currently use the area for recreation and/or business purposes. For this reason, as part of the proposed development, Ocean Choice plans to create a new, more direct, marked channel along the edge of the property. The new channel will be developed with the safety of users in mind and will be as deep as the current channel used by boaters.
About Ocean Choice
Ocean Choice is a family-owned and -operated Newfoundland and Labrador company that employs over 1,700 people in 300 communities throughout the province. We operate five fish processing plants and six offshore fishing vessels, and we source seafood from over 1,900 independent fishermen and women from across the province.
