An Announcement was made in Mahone Bay on Thursday, November 23, 2023 regarding funding for various projects aimed at curtailing Climate Change.
The Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is poised to take significant steps toward coastal protection, potentially becoming the first council to do so following the provincial government’s decision to abandon the Coastal Protection Act.
Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson indicated that a decision on this matter could be reached within the next few weeks, following a presentation by provincial Department of Environment officials. The focus of the discussion revolved around discrepancies between hazard projections in a provincial map and the municipality’s own planning data regarding sea level rise, storm surge, and high tide projections up to the year 2100.
It was revealed that the municipality relies on more recent modeling data, not yet publicly available, which offers greater granularity and local context compared to the provincial map. Meghan McMorris from the Environment Department commended the municipality for being proactive, stating that their data is “ahead of the game” and provides valuable resources for residents considering coastal development.
Council members expressed frustration with the provincial government’s decision to shift responsibility for regulating coastal development. Environment Minister Tim Halman announced in February that the Coastal Protection Act, which received bipartisan support in 2019, would not be enacted. The legislation aimed to delineate areas suitable for development along the coast and specify permissible security measures, such as the use of armour rock.
This move has prompted local authorities to take matters into their own hands, recognizing the importance of coastal protection amidst rising concerns over climate change and its impacts on coastal communities in Nova Scotia.
