Reef plan still afloat Posted 10 days ago Proponents of an artificial reef near Brockville say they need a clear chart for navigating the often unpredictable waters of government. Members of the Eastern Ontario Artificial Reef Association (EOARA) said Thursday they still hope to sink a 2,800-tonne warship in the St. Lawrence River as a diving attraction, but there is plenty to do first. "We've run into quite a few hurdles," said EOARA spokesman Michael Ryan. "There's a lot more paperwork and things to get through than we realized at the beginning." EOARA wants to get a clear picture of those requirements from all levels of government before proceeding any further, added Ryan, who hopes to get such information within the next six months. EOARA wants to purchase the decommissioned HMCS Terra Nova, a 372-foot anti-submarine destroyer escort built in 1956, and sink it in 130 feet of water in the St. Lawrence about four kilometres east of Brown's Bay. The $2-million project has the support of municipal, provincial and federal politicians who are eager to reap its economic benefits. Proponents have said it could attract up to 6,000 divers annually, generating $8 million a year for the region's tourism economy. But last November, a provincial Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) official said it was premature to suggest there's clear sailing for the project. Jim Fraser, MNR area supervisor in Kemptville, said at the time that concern over the artificial reef project's impact on the river's fish habitat is just one of several regulatory hurdles still in the way. Fraser said last fall the major unresolved question is what impact scuttling the massive warship will have on the sturgeon population. Ryan said Thursday sturgeon may not be the only species to worry about. "It's any protected species that may be in the bottom of the St. Lawrence River." Other issues will include an environmental assessment of the ship itself to make sure it has been stripped of any potential contaminants, said Ryan. As a result, EOARA will not try to acquire the Terra Nova until it has the sink permit from MNR in its hands. Otherwise, said Ryan, "we could be stuck with 450 tonnes of scrap steel." Both the Terra Nova and another ship that could be used for an artificial reef are still sitting at a dock in Halifax and, given the current state of the economy, Ryan is not worried about any other group coming forward to snap them up. EOARA has private sector funding in place to buy the Terra Nova from the government when the time comes, said Ryan, but that's only one part of the project's cost. Towing the ship, retrofitting it for the reef project and sinking it safely will all be costly endeavours, he said. A key meeting with government officials in Toronto in December yielded some useful information, he said. "We are a little further ahead now because we have a pretty good list that the MNR has provided of all the agencies that we have to deal with." Ryan said the local artificial reef is still possible, but he is reluctant to provide a target date. The sinking is still years away, he said, noting such projects are usually four or five years in the making. EOARA member Bob Bova, a retired soldier who has worked at national defence headquarters, said EOARA has put the word out for a consulting group to study the different requirements for the project. The association hopes to hire the consultant in October and get a report back on an implementation plan at the start of next year, said Bova. "In my humble opinion, we've spent too much time in the past trying to get it done without knowing where we're going," he said. Bova, who lives in Ottawa and has a boat at Ivy Lea, is also a diver. Artificial reefs are rarely done in fresh water and that is part of the complication in this case, said Bova. United Counties of Leeds and Grenville economic development co-ordinator Ann Weir, who was at the December meeting in Toronto, said the session helped EOARA get some direction about what is needed and there has been ongoing discussion with the MNR. "We need to do the due diligence." The counties' economic development department has "been joining EOARA at the table," said Weir, who appreciates the economic potential of the project. "Diving is certainly an asset and opportunities to enhance that, it's important for us to explore those opportunities," she said.