In late 2014, SHAI purchased, repurposed and equipped the former 80,000 sq. ft. seafood processing plant owned by Ocean Choice International located at the Souris Food Park. In addition to providing expanded cold storage capacity in the building, this key investment repurposed the facility now called Souris Harbour Industries, (SHI), for multi-use tenancy. The establishment of an anchor tenant provides the facility a viable foundation, leasing 22,000 sq. ft. The Centre Aquaculture Technologies Canada, (CATC) a growing company engaged in aquaculture research and innovation now employs 30 well paid professionals and technicians in rural PEI.

CATC has been the facility’s “anchor” tenant, bringing high value jobs creating significant economic impact to the eastern PEI region. CATC has earned respect and valuable reputation in the global aquaculture marketplace. CATC plays a significant role as part of the eastern PEI high value aquaculture technology cluster that includes AquaBounty Technologies, with the region’s many oyster and mussel growers.

In addition, CATC is now engaged in a proposed acquisition of a pilot scale feed extruder that would establish an Aquafeed Technology Centre at the SHI facility. The extruder is designed to produce feed pellets on a pilot scale for R&D studies and for use in the production of specialty feeds by the aquaculture industry across Canada

The facility recently has a new tenant, MacAulay Produce, a local processor of organic french fries, now leasing 12,000 sq. ft.

Eastern Cold Storage’s (ECS) capacity in the facility at the 2014 purchase was 4 million lbs. In 2017, SHAI built another 4 million lb. (20,000 sq. ft) expansion to accommodate increasing demands from the fishery (bait production) and agriculture industries, particularly blue berries. ECS has moved its bait production operations into the SHI facility as larger production space and more blast freezing capacity for its tenants was required to accommodate increasing production.