In May the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, in collaboration with the Port of Sydney, awarded the engineering design and construction contract to CBCL for the development of a second cruise berth at the Sydney Marine Terminal.
The project is valued at $20m.
The second berth will be designed to accommodate the Queen Mary 2 class of vessels, with a target draught of 11.5 meters. It will be located immediately north of the existing wharf and, upon completion, the Sydney Marine Terminal will be able to offer simultaneous berthing for up to three vessels.
Investments in the cruise industry in Atlantic Canada are ongoing as cruising is considered a valuable and growing tourism sector.
'The construction of a second berth in the Port of Sydney was deemed by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality as the "No. 1" priority,' according to Marlene Usher, ceo, Port of Sydney Development Corp. 'Cruise is extremely important, not only to the Port of Sydney, but to the whole of Cape Breton Island.'
Cape Breton Island is a world-renowned destination on the Canada/New England itinerary. Access to diverse excursions, rich in history and culture, makes for a very appealing port of call, Usher said.
This new infrastructure investment, she added, will 'enable the port to accommodate the larger vessels and, more importantly, will provide ability to sustain our current cruise business.'
Key considerations in the design process include addressing the cruise industry's specific requirements, including minimum draught, disembarking points, navigation safety, mooring and fendering and shore-based infrastructure including bus loops and walkways.
The design team is soliciting input from the cruise lines to ensure the facility meets their immediate and future needs. Engineering design and the process of acquiring all required regulatory and environmental permitting are under way.
Tendering of the project is scheduled for the late 2017 with construction completion anticipated in fall 2018.
Usher and Bernadette MacNeil, manager, marketing and development for the Port of Sydney Development Corp., discussed the expansion in meetings with cruise line executives at the recent Cruise Canada/New England Symposium in Montréal.
Sydney is scheduled to host the symposium in 2019.
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