How residents made officials listen

Late in 1978, John Buchanan’s Progressive Conservatives won the Nova Scotia provincial election and formed a majority government. A final decision on the exact route of the new Highway 101 was expected soon.

The question had been discussed for years. Should the new highway proceed on the ‘North Route’, down the floor of the Annapolis Valley or would public pressure prevail and force the Department of Highways to have the road cross the Annapolis River in Kings County and follow the ‘South (Mountain) Route’ to the Bear River Bridge?

Peter Nicholson, the longtime sitting MLA for Annapolis West and minister of finance, as well as the deputy premier in the defeated Gerald Regan Liberal government, had for years insisted that the route run south despite the provincial highway department’s preference. As a result of the election, the question as to which route to take was back on the table.

“Well, we are back to square one by the look of things,” complained my friend Terry Crowe. Terry and I became friends shortly after he arrived in the Valley in 1973. He was hired as planning director for the Annapolis County District Planning Commission (ACDPC). “We will have to wait and see what Gerry Sheehy and the new Tory government decides.”

“You mean, ‘Doctor’ Gerry Sheehy. He’s my veterinarian you know. And, now he has been appointed minister of agriculture. Surely he won’t go against the farmers who are afraid to lose land and the

Federation of Agriculture,” I said trying to ease Terry’s mind.

“I don’t know, Paul. This fight is not over yet.”

“There’s just no way Gerry Sheehy is going to side with the merchants and run the highway down the Valley floor. We’ll lose over 300 acres of prime farmland. The Women’s Institute will cook his goose,” I said trying to reassure him that the fight was over.

“I’m not so sure. There are far more voters in the towns than the scattered farmers around Annapolis County. And another thing,” continued Terry. “You know, about two years ago, I was at a meeting with the Department of Highways and the 101 South Committee when the citizens group asked to see the map for the north route,” recalled Terry. “Can you believe that the highways department simply gave them a flat no! They said the route had already been planned and the decisions were made. That kind of attitude just made matters worse and the 101 south people really began to organize,” continued Terry. “A public meeting was called in Annapolis Royal and I was invited to attend. I presented one of the original maps from the highways department showing the north route crossing a causeway to be built at the mouth of the Annapolis River with a large ‘spaghetti-like loop’ of an interchange that would cut the town in half.”

“No way,” I said, anxious to hear what happened next.

“At first, there was just silence and then people started to laugh. There were 70 or 80 people in the room and the place just broke up into laughter. Then reality settled in and the mood turned to anger. They could not believe the department was so callous — so stupid as to propose a plan that would split the historic town of Annapolis in two.”

The 101 south people began to organize public meetings all over Annapolis County and a list of three goals was agreed on. It took about a year and a half of meetings, behind the scenes negotiating and widespread discussions in all of the county newspapers until finally a meeting with the minister of highways was arranged in Halifax.

All the radio and television stations were there when the 101 South Committee presented its three demands:

First, get the highway up onto the South Mountain as soon as possible.

Next, ensure that the highway does not split up the Town of Annapolis Royal.

Finally, change how decisions on highway routes are made to include public consultation.

In the meantime, Terry and his staff designed a crossing over the river just to the east of the Town of Bridgetown. This would get the highway up on the South Mountain without interfering with either Bridgetown or Annapolis Royal and yet be close enough to satisfy the merchants.

On Jan. 12, 1979, Dr. Gerry Sheehy, the newly appointed minister of agriculture and MLA for Annapolis East, announced the 101 Highway would follow the ‘North’ route and connect all the Valley towns just as the railroad did when it was built about 100 years earlier. The announcement finally put an end to most of the squabbling and disagreement among the two different factions that had fought to influence the government’s decision. The citizen action group, Highway 101 South Committee, claimed a partial victory while the merchants and townsfolk backing the north alignment, breathed a sigh of relief.

Terry Crowe’s compromise suggestion of crossing the river before Bridgetown was successful in preserving the historic towns of both Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal. A traveller driving west on Highway 101 can’t help but notice how the road takes a very sharp turn to the south and crosses the Valley floor before it climbs up onto the South Mountain. Those of us that can remember the battle with the highways department can almost see — in our mind’s eye — the worriers of the Highway 101 South Committee standing guard and directing traffic away from town.

The citizens finally forced governments to listen to the people before making decisions affecting their towns. It is now government policy to seek citizen participation in decision-making, especially when choosing the routes for a highway right-of-way.

Paul Colville is the author of The View from Delusion Road a story of Nova Scotia and the Valley at the time of Canadian Confederation. He can be reached by email at pandrcoldspringfarm@gmail. com.