Cooke Aquaculture and its subsidiary, Kelly Cove Salmon, held a public meeting in Bayside on Monday about an aquaculture facility proposed for Champlain Industrial Park. The $70-million project would allow Kelly Cove to grow larger salmon smolt to almost triple their current transfer size before moving them to marine farms, increasing their chances of survival.

The proposed facility requires the use of a substantial amount of water, and that water would need to come from deep groundwater wells located in the watershed since it poses less risk of carrying viruses and bacteria than water from Chamcook Lake. Kelly Cove is working with Sorensen Engineering in Saint Andrews to determine if there is adequate groundwater for the facility and if the proposed plant is sustainable long-term in light of other environmental issues like climate change.

Many members of the public at the meeting expressed concern over the potential impact this project could have on the local watershed if impact studies aren't thorough.

"I have a question... what if you're wrong," asked one man regarding current projections that there is enough water available to make this project feasible in the longterm.

Kelly Cove hopes to break ground on the project this fall creating over 250 construction jobs in the shortterm and approximately a dozen jobs once the facility is operational.

Representatives from Kelly Cove Salmon and Sorensen Engineering will be sitting down with CHCO Television in studio next week to answer questions submitted by the public. Email news@chco.tv if you'd like to submit a question to be answered on-air by VP of Communication for Cooke's Aquaculture and Lionel Hayter of Sorenson Engineering.