Catamaran company seeks Dalhousie land for facility.

Tim Jaques I The Tribune - January 27, 2020
Dalhousie could become the centre for building a unique type of boat if all goes according to plan.

Michel Pachiaudo, vice-president of Pro Cat, said in an interview the company hopes to obtain land near the old ferry wharf in order to build catamarans for commercial uses, including fishing.

"We have the 32-foot which is the smaller one, and we have the 36 [foot]," he said. "The 32 [foot] has four holds, and those holds can carry 12 crates of lobsters. On the 36 [foot] you have two more holds. Its capacity is very great." Pachiaudo said the catamarans are more stable on rough seas than a normal fishing boat, because the design of these boats is high so "it is like a rail track" with the water going through the space down the middle.

He said such boats are already used in the United Kingdom and they have advantages over traditional fishing boats. These include better fuel efficiency and numerous bulkheads in the hull, making them less likely to sink if damaged. He said the design of the vessels is such that they can be adapted for other work purposes, such as a ferry.

The company previously had a facility in Rouse's Point, N.Y., but Pachiaudo said it didn't work out there and closed. He said the company first looked at re-establishing in Quebec, but became interested in Dalhousie because it's on the East Coast, where the main market for :fishing boats is. Also, Dalhousie has a port from which finished catamarans can be shipped overseas, he said.

Pachiaudo, who showed a prototype of one of the boats at the Fish Canada Workboat trade show in Moncton last week, says if the production facility is built it would employ about 50 people. "We have at least 12 people ready to sign the cheque," he said.

Pachiaudo said the show in Moncton was a success in terms of generating interest. He added that current fishing boats used in Eastern Canada are of a design "from the S0s, 60s, and 70s. There's no improvement."

Pachiaudo has moved to Dalhousie in order to promote the venture. He and his partner, Magguy Thibodeau, plan to bring the prototype displayed in Moncton to various East Coast ports to show it to those in the fishing industry.

Part of the land in question that the company needs for its development is owned by the Port of Dalhousie. Chris Cochrane, CEO of the port, confirmed the port is open to leasing the company some land. "For us, all we're doing is we're just going to lease the land to this company to help them facilitate the boat-building process," he said. "We just have a nice spot, and they have a use for it. They're promising to corne in and create so many jobs. I think it's something we desperately need around here." Cochrane said if the project did take off as planned, any shipments out of the port would be welcome business.

Dalhousie Mayor Normand Pelletier said part of the land in question is owned by the provincial Regional Development Corporation. It stretch es from just north of the fire station along Renfrew Street to the port's land in front of the old ferry dock. Pelletier said if necessary, the town might be willing to trade land it owns near the old Woodlands garage with the province in order to obtain land on the waterfront where the proposed boat facility could be erected. The mayor said the portion of the provincial land in question is that piece next to Renfrew Street currently fenced off near the old ferry wharf.

However, Bruce MacFarlane, spokesperson for the Regional Development Corporation, said RDC as yet has no commitment to the project. "The Regional Development Corporation is presently reviewing an application for possible land acquisition. I can advise you that no provincial funding (financial assistance or incentives) has been provided to the Pro Cat project,” he wrote in an e-mail.

The mayor, however, is pushing for the project to become a reality. "You try to always encourage people who have a good solid project, and I think he [Pachiaudo] does," said Pelletier.