Upgrade dikes ‘as quickly as feasible’ before major flood hits Chignecto Isthmus, Amherst mayor tells provincial governments
This article was updated at approximately 9 p.m. on April 14, 2023, to include a comment from the Government of Nova Scotia.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia say they’re negotiating with Ottawa over the financing of a multi-million dollar infrastructure project that would protect the Chignecto Isthmus from flooding.
The Chignecto Isthmus is the narrow strip of land that connects the two provinces.
Upgrades could cost up to $300 million, according to a study published last year. The feds have offered to pay half that amount, but both provinces say talks are still ongoing about how the project should be financed.
And New Brunswick’s Minister of Infrastructure Jeff Carr reportedly stated last week the $150 million offer isn’t enough.
Mayor David Kogon of Amherst, N.S., says the provinces should quit haggling and speed up the process before it’s too late. Tantramar Mayor Andrew Black has also called for the provincial government to take swifter action.
Listen to the report from CHMA:
The dikes were built in the 1600s by Acadian settlers to hold back floodwater from the Bay of Fundy. Officials from both provinces say the current height of the dikes is no longer sufficient because of the effects of climate change.
CHMA spoke to the Mayor of Amherst this week after he met with the Daniel Allain, New Brunswick’s Minister of Local Government. … Continue
Online ‘toolkit’ to help communities facing coastal erosion and flooding
A Sackville-based organization has launched a new Internet-based “toolkit” to help people in Atlantic Canada to adapt as the climate crisis results in increasingly erratic weather and rising sea levels.
CLIMAtlantic, a regional hub that provides information to help people deal with the effects of climate change, started operations in 2021 with funding from the federal government.
On Tuesday, the group launched the Coastal Adaptation Toolkit, which is mean to “help Atlantic rural coastal communities and property owners plan for the effects of climate change.”
Users respond to a series of questions about conditions at a specific site, such as as natural or human-made features that may offer some protection from flooding.
The system also queries users about policies that are in place locally, such as an emergency management plan.
The answers to those questions result in an automatically-generated report with a detailed list of possible measures to address the risk of flooding and coastal erosion.
It’s not a substitute for professional advice, but can serve as a first step for people facing extreme weather events like Hurricane Fiona, which hit Atlantic Canada last September.
“This is for educational purposes and information purposes,” said Sabine Dietz, executive director of CLIMAtlantic, in an interview with CHMA.
During the online launch, CLIMAtlantic also screened a new 12-minute documentary highlighting adaptation actions in the region.… Continue
Students renew call for Mount A to divest from fossil fuels ahead of climate strike
Climate justice activists at Mount Allison University and their supporters will be getting their hands dirty on Friday as part of student-led climate strike actions happening around the world.
Their handprints will cover a banner painted with images from the fossil fuel industry – an oil well and two smokestacks belching black smoke – and bearing the words “People Not Profit.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do,” said student activist Kate DesRoches. “Put the people over the profit, literally.”
DesRoches is a member of Divest MTA, a student activist group that campaigns for Mount A to move its investment funds out of fossil fuels.
She said there’s a tension between what students learn in the classroom about climate change, and how the university uses its money. You can listen to her interview with CHMA here:
The artwork is part of student-led actions happening internationally as part of the Fridays for Future movement.
Divest MTA is part of a movement calling for institutional investors around the world to move trillions of dollars out of fossil fuels.
Universities have multimillion dollar funds called endowments which they use to generate cash.
By the end of 2020, Mount Allison’s endowment was worth more than $170 million, according to information publicly available on the university’s website. … Continue