Nova Scotia premier repeats calls for Ottawa to pay for protecting Chignecto Isthmus

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s premier is repeating his government’s calls for Ottawa to foot the full bill to protect a vital strip of land that connects the province to the rest of the country ahead of a new parliamentary session.

Tim Houston sent a letter Sunday to the seven Liberal members of Parliament in Nova Scotia urging Ottawa to fully fund the expensive work needed to protect the Chignecto Isthmus against rising sea levels.

The letter says the isthmus is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and one severe weather event could disconnect the province from the rest of Canada, stopping ground or rail transport of goods and services.

Both the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick governments want Ottawa to pay for the estimated $650-million infrastructure project to strengthen a dike system and rail lines, but the federal government has said it will only cover half the cost.

The squabble ramped up after the Nova Scotia government began legal proceedings in July 2023 to determine whether the federal government has exclusive responsibility to maintain structures along the corridor.

The letter sent a day before Parliament returns Monday says the Chignecto Isthmus sees about $100 million worth of trade pass through it each day, making it “remarkable” that Ottawa “continues to deny its responsibility” in protecting the corridor.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.

The Canadian Press

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, meets with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston in Halifax on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Nova Scotia’s premier is repeating his government’s calls for Ottawa to foot the full bill to protect a vital strip of land that connects the province to the rest of the country ahead of a new parliamentary session. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

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