Coastal Coalition

We have collected 2000 signatures so far!!

Please help us reach our goal of 5,000 signatures before the end of the summer. Download, print off and fill a page! (it’s only 15 signatures)

Created using the Donation Thermometer plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/donation-thermometer/.5,000Raised 2,000 towards the 5,000 target.2,000Raised 2,000 towards the 5,000 target.40%

Claudia Chender, NDP Leader and MLA will table the petition in the Fall session. Download, print off and help to collect signatures!

Click here for the petition

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Need a lawn sign? Bumper stickers?

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Would you like to make a donation?

Donations can be made via e-transfer to coastalcoalition.ns@gmail.com

Donations will be deposited into the Dirt Gang account. Please type “for the Coastal Coalition” in the message box.

The Dirt Gang is a registered not-for-profit society, but we are not a charitable organisation so we are not able to issue a charitable tax receipt. We can however issue a receipt for your administration.

The Coastal Coalition

The Coast of Nova Scotia

Much of Nova Scotia’s coastline consists of barrier sand dunes that protect the sensitive wetlands and marshes behind them. These marshes and wetlands in turn, protect the areas further inland from sea surges and storms. Development close to or on these sand dunes disrupt their natural protective role and can, in fact, increase the destructive energy of ocean waves, causing more intense erosion of the coast. Armouring of properties against the ocean has often the opposite effect, causing damage to the rock wall, destroying the sensitive ecosystems that had existed before the wall was built, or to neighbouring properties as the wave energy is directed further along the coast.

Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada with a coastline of 13,300 kilometers. 87% of Nova Scotia’s diverse coastline is privately owned. Why does that matter? Read on…

What is The Coastal Coalition?

The Coastal Coalition 1.0

The original Coastal Coalition was formed in 2004 to begin, in ernest, the conversation of coastal protection. The Coalition was made up of many community advocacy groups, scientists, coastal experts and NGOs including The Ecology Action Centre and East Coast Environmental Law (ECeLaw). This coalition laid the foundation for the Draft Strategies for coastal protection that was compiled by the NS Oceans Network.

The Coastal Coalition 2.0

The present-day Coalition was formed after the Houston Government reneged on its election promise to proclaim the Coastal Protection Act. Sixty advocacy groups, NGOs and individuals make up this new version of the Coastal Coalition, including members from the original partnership.

Our mission is to persuade the Houston Government to change course and proclaim the Act. In the long term, the Coalition aims to pick up where the orginal alliance left off and continue to work towards protection of Nova Scotia’s unique coast.

What is the Coastal Protection Act?

The Coastal Protection Act was unanimously passed in 2019, by all 3 parties in the Legislature, with the goal to:

“…protect the Province’s coast for future generations by preventing development and activity in locations adjacent to the coast that

(a) damage the environment by interfering with the natural dynamic and shifting nature of the coast; or

(b) put residences and buildings at risk of damage or destruction from sea-level rise, coastal flooding, storm surges and coastal erosion.”

 

Why Does it Matter?

Discussions of coastal protection and the effects of development on erosion rates and changes to the coastline started in the 1970’s – almost 50 years ago! The Coastal Coalition (1.0) began a push to develop province-wide strategies that would regulate development, protect fragile coastal ecosystems and habitats and help to keep coastal communities safe. This development went through a Liberal government, a PC government, an NDP government, back to a Liberal government and now back to the Conservatives. Public consultation over a course of many years, was thorough and conclusive. Support for this Act was widespread. Yet, in February 2024 this Act was not proclaimed. Instead Tim Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change in the Tim Houston PC Government, ignored the overwhelming public support for the Act and devised a plan that would transfer responsibility of Nova Scotia’s coastline to property owners, developers and municipalities.

The original Draft Strategy (2011) dealt with 7 key issues:

  1. Coastal development
  2. Working waterfronts
  3. Public coastal access
  4. Sea level rise and storm events
  5. Coastal ecosystems and habitats
  6. Coastal water quality
  7. Governance

 

The Coastal Protection Act only covers 3 of these issues. It is not perfect, but it is a start and would have provided a consistent set of rules for the whole province. The three issues are:

  1. Coastal development
  2. Sea level rise and storm events
  3. Coastal ecosystems and habitats

Tim Halman's Plan

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The Coastal Protection Act is not perfect, but it did provide a consistent set of rules for all coastal municipalities in the province.

With this new “plan” municipalities will have to develop their own by-laws to deal with development and coastal erosion. The province is placing the responsibility for good governance squarly on the shoulders of local Council and relying on property owners to make “good and informed choices”.

Click here for the Coastal Hazards Map

Contact your Councillor or MLA

Writing letters or making telephone calls to your Municipal Councillor will help them understand your concerns. You can find a list of all Municipal Councillors in Nova Scotia on this list.

Your MLA adress can be found on this list

Don’t know who your MLA is? Follow this link to find out who represents your area.