Statement on the Chignecto Isthmus

NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston.

In the face of federal inaction, the Province of Nova Scotia continues moving forward with necessary work to protect the Chignecto Isthmus.

With nearly $100 million of trade passing through the Chignecto Isthmus every day - $35 billion every year - this infrastructure is truly of national importance. It is remarkable that the federal government continues to deny its responsibility on this file.

While project priorities continue to be met and tenders issued, every dollar that the province spends on this is a dollar that is taken away from healthcare, other provincial priorities and Nova Scotians.

This is a shame. This is why we asked the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to determine whether the federal government or the Province is truly financially responsible for the Isthmus. Lawyers are confident that the courts will determine that the Federal Government is responsible for key infrastructure connecting our country and our detailed, compelling factum has been filed with the court.

We are also hopeful that when the court makes its determination that the federal government is responsible, Ottawa will continue its history of covering one hundred per cent of the costs of infrastructure projects that are of national importance. Projects like the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, where the federal government assumed one hundred per cent of the $4.2 billion cost. Nova Scotians have a right to expect the same treatment as other jurisdictions.

By forcing Nova Scotia to turn to the courts, the federal government is merely delaying the inevitable. This inaction puts Nova Scotians at risk. We are not waiting for the federal government to take action.

As additional protection against the federal government positioning, we applied to the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. This application remains open but it will only fund 50 per cent of the cost. This means all funds from this program will have to be allocated towards the Isthmus and are not available to complete other much-needed projects.

I recently wrote to the federal Nova Scotia Liberal caucus and asked them to reconsider their position and take responsibility for this piece of federal infrastructure.

We are counting on them to put the Province before party, but we won’t hold our breath. In the meantime, we are taking action and doing the work on behalf of Nova Scotians.

Additional Resources:

Letter sent to Nova Scotia Federal Liberal Caucus: https://novascotia.ca/news/docs/2024/09/15/Letter-to-Nova-Scotia-Federal-Liberal-Caucus.pdf