Crowd rallies in front of Nova Scotia legislature for coastal protection legislation

HALIFAX — Dozens of people gathered in front of the Nova Scotia legislature today to rally in support of coastal protection legislation the provincial government is refusing to proclaim.

The Progressive Conservative government said in February it would not put into force the Coastal Protection Act, which was passed in 2019 by the former Liberal government with support from all parties in the legislature.

The act would have offered more protection to coastal areas, dunes and salt marshes, and restricted development along parts of the coastline at risk of heavy erosion.

Maggie Burns, executive director of the Ecology Action Centre, told the protesters today the government has provided no “credible rationale” for its decision to shift much of the responsibility for coastal protection to property owners and municipalities.

Burns says the act is critical to address climate change and severe weather because it’s designed to protect homes and ecosystems, and shield taxpayers from liability.

She urged the crowd of environmentalists, coastal land owners and opposition politicians to maintain pressure on the government, and to make coastal protection an election issue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2024.