Fishing boats and fish processing plants in Placentia Bay will have a new source of ice. Cape Shore Equipment Rentals plans to build an ice-making facility in St. Bride�s with a $250,000 term loan from the Provincial Government�s Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Fund.

"The demand for ice by the fishing industry in Placentia Bay and on the Burin Peninsula exceeds the supply, particularly in the summer months," said the Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. "To maintain a high quality fish product requires adequate ice at all stages of the harvesting process. This new plant will be a welcome addition to the fishery infrastructure of the region."

This project will provide ice in a timely manner, particularly for the ports of St. Bride�s and Branch, and without the losses incurred when shipping ice a great distance. This project will make it possible for the Cape Shore fishery to produce an overall better product.

"At present, many operators must ship ice to the Cape Shore, sometimes from as far away as Central Newfoundland," said Elaine Dalton, President of Cape Shore Equipment Rentals. "We will be providing salt-water ice which can maintain a lower temperature than fresh water ice."

Ms. Dalton has 30 years of management experience in the fishery and is plant manager for Ocean Choice International in St. Bride�s. Cape Shore Equipment Rentals has operated out of St. Bride�s for 16 years providing construction and excavation services for fishing communities along the Cape Shore.

Administered by the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development, the SME Fund provides term loans and equity investments to small and medium-sized businesses in strategic growth sectors, and is a component of the province�s Comprehensive Regional Diversification Strategy. Special emphasis is placed on value-added manufacturing, information technology, aquaculture, bio-technology, marine services, agrifoods and tourism, where local competitive impact is not an issue. The fund also targets businesses which have export potential and need assistance to enter or expand in external markets.

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