The following News Release was provided from Ocean Choice International regarding adjustments to its Long Pond Harbour Development Plan.

Ocean Choice makes significant adjustments to its Long Pond Harbour Development Plan
Incorporating input and feedback from Town Council, residents and business owners

For Immediate Release, St. John’s, NL – June 3, 2021: Today, Ocean Choice unveiled a revised plan for the company’s cold storage and vessel offloading development in Long Pond Harbour.

Since August of 2020, Ocean Choice, in collaboration with the Town of Conception Bay South, has been soliciting feedback and input relating to its proposed development plan for Long Pond Harbour. In December of last year, the Town of Conception Bay South and Ocean Choice held a public consultation session, providing residents and business owners the opportunity to provide input and ask questions relating to the development. After careful consideration of the feedback received, Ocean Choice has made significant adjustments to its plan.

“We are committed to working with and listening to residents and business owners, and our revised development plan is a reflection of this commitment,” said Blaine Sullivan, President, Ocean Choice. “Over the past several months we have been working with our external consultants and experts to adapt our plan to address the feedback we have heard while also ensuring the project remains economically viable. While our updated plan requires significant additional investment, adjusting the plan to better balance the commercial and recreational needs of the harbour is the right thing to do.”

The revised plan moves the development significantly to the southwest corner of the harbour towards Terminal Road, the industrial area of the harbour. Key updates to the plan are as follows:

• Open harbour to the east of the property for recreational boaters travelling from the inner pond
• The openness of the harbour is maintained, providing existing commercial and recreational users with abundant room to navigate safety in the basin.

“Council is very pleased with Ocean Choice’s response to the concerns and questions raised by the community on this development,” said Conception Bay South Town Councillor, Rex Hillier. “The revised proposal strikes a favorable balance that considers residents, commercial, and recreational users of the harbour. The steps taken to provide an alternative that emphasizes safety, and acknowledges the concerns of Council and residents is very appreciated”.

The development will see approximately 1.7 hectares of new land developed that will house a 90-metre long finger pier, a laydown and parking area as well as a cold storage building where the company’s frozen-at-sea products will be stored until shipped to global markets.

Ocean Choice has been actively engaged in rigorous federal, provincial and municipal regulatory approvals and is currently working with the proper regulatory bodies to inform them of the revised development plan. Ocean Choice will continue to adhere to the regulations and processes deemed necessary by the expert authorities, and all authorizations and permits will be in place prior to the start of any work.

Quick Facts

• Significant Local Investment: Between $ 15 and $20 million in capital investment.
• New Job Creation: 30 to 40 new jobs created once the cold storage facility is operational.
• Spin-Off Business Opportunities: Millions of dollars in spin-off business opportunities for supply services in the area, economic benefit to other local businesses in the area as 300 crew travel to the area for work, and the potential relocation of people to the community.
• Local Spending: Increased spending at local businesses (i.e., gas stations, restaurants, etc.) as over 300 crew travel to the area for work.

About Ocean Choice

Ocean Choice is a family-owned and operated Newfoundland and Labrador company that employs over 1,700 people in over 300 communities throughout the province. The company operates five fish processing plants and five offshore fishing vessels, and it sources seafood from over 1,900 independent harvesters from across the province. With sales offices around the globe, the company sells a diversified range of seafood to over 400 customers in 30 countries around the world.

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Cara Pike, Director, Communications and Marketing, Ocean Choice
C: (709) 685-9290
E: [email protected]

Carla Hodder, Communications Manager, Town of Conception Bay South
T: (709) 834-6500 ext. 611 / 704
E: [email protected]