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Chignecto Isthmus Project hosting open online forum on May 11

DARRELL COLE

Is the day coming when Nova Scotia becomes an island?

It’s a concept that appears far-fetched, but one scientists and climate activists are warning could be reality amid warming oceans and rising sea levels. It’s also something that is at the centre of a study being funded by the federal government and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick about the potential impact to nearby infrastructure including the railway and the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across the narrow land bridge connecting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The Chignecto Isthmus Project, a group within the Cumberland Colchester Green Party Electoral District Association, is hosting an awareness building event online on May 11 at 7 p.m. via Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/IsthmusNS .

“We need to raise awareness of the environmental issues around the isthmus and what could happen if we have a flooding situation,” Rosemary Rowntree of the Chignecto Isthmus Project said. “It could be something that lasts several hours, it could be several days, or it could be permanent.”

The event will examine the potential impacts on the place and its people, what flooding might look like and possible solutions. Presenters will include former MP Bill Casey, elder Billy Lewis, Jennifer Houghtaling from the Municipality of Cumberland, Amherst Mayor David Kogon, Sackville,

N.B. Deputy Mayor Ron Aitken, Cumberland EMO co-ordinator Mike Johnson, author and journalist David Holt and NSCC geomatics researcher Dr. Tim Webster.

In a news release, Holt asks people to imagine it’s October 2028 following a hurricane reminiscent of hurricane Juan in 2003 and Sandy in 2012 - with one major difference. A three- metre storm surge pushed massive amounts of seawater over the protective dikes causing extensive damage to agricultural lands, private and public property and infrastructure.

“Drivers abandoned their vehicles, rescue vehicles and power boats mounted co- ordinated and impromptu rescue missions, homeowners retreated to upper floors, businesses closed, public buildings on higher ground became rescue centres and military vehicles plowed across higher ground attempting to deliver supplies and manpower,” Holt said. “All responses were too little too late, said officials and scientists who had been warning of this danger for decades.”

Holt said relative sea levels have increased by 0.3 metres since 1911 when measurements began. Because of this, coastal areas are more vulnerable and intense storms brought on by climate change contribute to the risk.

The online event comes as a feasibility study announced in January 2020 is nearing completion. The study, by Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, will determine recommendations for protecting the transportation corridor within the isthmus from the impact of climate change.

“We want to talk about some of the impacts and raise awareness of some of the solutions. We want to talk about the land and why it’s important, the impact on the people and what a crisis would look like,” Rowntree said. “We also want to talk about the fix, what it’s going to take to avoid a crisis from happening.

“There’s $50 million in commerce going through there every day. When I first read that I thought it was a misprint. If it were shut down for even a day it would have a devastating impact, and that’s not to mention the impact on families who would be cut off from each other. We’re already getting a taste of that now with the COVID restrictions at the border.”

Rowntree said there may already been some knowledge of the area’s importance, but most have no understanding of the risks.

The $700,000 study was announced in May 2018 by former MP Bill Casey but was delayed by the New Brunswick election. It’s being funded by the federal government’s $2-billion National Trade Corridors Fund with the other half being paid for by the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick governments.

Kogon, as Amherst mayor, and Sackville’s then mayor John Higham met with Casey and New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc in October 2017 to start the process of upgrading the infrastructure along the marsh. Casey has been working on the file since 2009 when he saw a UN report identifying the areas most at risk from global sea rise being New Orleans and the Tantramar marshes.

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2021-05-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281565178619115

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