Coastal property owners and researchers are expressing frustration with the provincial government's approach to safeguarding the coast. Some say there needs to be more leadership from the province after abandoning the Coastal Protection Act.

Braeshore

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Coastal property owners and researchers in Nova Scotia are currently facing a growing sense of frustration toward the provincial government's approach to coastal protection. This discontent stems from the government's decision to abandon the Coastal Protection Act, a legislative effort aimed at safeguarding the vulnerable coastlines. Critics argue that the abandonment signifies a lack of leadership and foresight in addressing the challenges posed by coastal erosion and climate change, demanding more robust action from the province.



Nova Scotia erodes as lawmakers abandon Coastal Protection Act

There was a time when Jeff Kidlark could walk this shoreline to a nearby park, but the footing has changed. There's an armor rock in place and I can no longer walk along the waterfront. I have to either trespass over people's property to get to the beach. Kidlark has watched how erosion has chipped away at the end of his Brayshore property. So far, he's not developed the land. The Coastal Protection Act was supposed to outline how property owners such as Kidlark could develop their land in a way that would help keep them safe from the threat of climate change, sea level rise, and coastal flooding and erosion. The legislation was passed in 2019 with all-party support. But last month, Environment Minister Tim Hallman announced his government would not make the legislation law. Instead, the government released a 15-point plan that includes guidance for the public to help them make informed development decisions and leaving it to municipalities to set bylaws for coastal development. The province continues to work on floodline mapping, and it released an online tool that projects how high the water will rise by the year 2100. But this professor in Dalhousie University's School for Resource and Environmental Studies says the government's approach amounts to a massive step backwards, along with research showing that when people's property values are at risk, they might not be receptive to information that could curtail development. She says the existing information released by the government so far is not thorough enough and risks giving people a false sense of security. Philosophically, we've gone from an idea of collectively protecting the coast and people who live there, to protecting people who are coastal property owners above all, and leaving the public good and the kind of environmental good entirely aside. Hallman has said the government's decision was informed by a survey of 40,000 coastal property owners last fall. Only about 1,000 people responded, and most supported making the Coastal Protection Act law. But Hallman has said he interprets the non-responses as collective opposition to the Act, and he wants to honour that. Sharon says that's not how non-responses to a survey should be interpreted, and the minister's explanation amounts to spin. So the idea that then you would actually discard what is pretty good data for the benefit of those who didn't answer the survey is just simply not best practice. Jeff Kidlark's property could not be more coastal, and yet he did not receive information about the survey. He says 10 out of 12 neighbours he checked with did not either. There are things about the proposed regulations for the Act that Kidlark did not like. If protecting the coast is good for everyone, he thinks property owners should be compensated for land they would not be able to develop if the Act were in place. Still, he thinks an imperfect law is better than no law. I wouldn't have liked it, but I could have lived with it. The province's work on floodline mapping is expected to be complete in 2027. Michael Gorman, CBC News, Brayshore.

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London

French police slashing migrants’ boat in crackdown

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Washington

FBI: Epstein investigation turned up no 'incriminating client list'

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Kerrville

At least 90 people killed in Texas floods

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McAllen

Shooter killed after opening fire at U.S. Border Patrol building

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Sana'a

Middle East Conflict

Israel strikes Yemen ports held by Houthi rebels

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Global Tariffs

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Morwell

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Hunt

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State of Rio de Janeiro

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Athens

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Cambridge

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Gondomar

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Melbourne

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Hatay

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