Funding to Strengthen Coastal Infrastructure in Halls Harbour

Funding from the Province announced today, February 13, will help safeguard important coastal infrastructure that supports Nova Scotia’s fishery and tourism sectors in Kings County.

John Lohr, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board and MLA for Kings North, announced $833,144 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund for the Halls Harbour Community Development Association, on behalf of Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

“Halls Harbour is a critical part of our economy and one of Nova Scotia’s most beloved tourism icons,” said Minister Lohr. “And like many coastal communities, it must take action to be resilient to climate change. This funding supports community-led action to help ensure Halls Harbour continues to be a thriving coastal community and can continue to support jobs and revenue in our fisheries and tourism sectors.”

The association will use the funding to:

• do a study on seawall and breakwater options to reduce the impacts of storms and erosion
• explore renewable energy and wharf upgrade options
• look at ways to improve coastal access to the community for residents, tourists, emergency services and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Quotes:

“Halls Harbour Community Development Association is pleased to work with the Province to advance our shared goals of creating and supporting vibrant and sustainable communities.”
— Bernard Miles, Chair, Halls Harbour Community Development Association

“As a business owner that depends on safe, sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure to get our seafood to global markets and keep our workers employed, I welcome this news. Since my family was welcomed to Halls Harbour in 1995, I have witnessed first-hand how climate change events have been impacting the harbour, roads, seawall and the economy of Halls Harbour. Thank you to everyone involved in securing this funding which will help ensure the community and the economy remain viable for generations, and to our government for recognizing the value of our community.”
— Rodger Cameron, President, Cameron Seafoods Ltd.

“This project exemplifies community-led leadership by the Halls Harbour Community Development Association to respond to climate change impacts along the coast. Funded through the adaptation stream, this project demonstrates how strategic planning and engineering can strengthen critical waterfront infrastructure while preparing for the long-term impacts of climate change. By exploring a range of adaptation measures for the Halls Harbour waterfront – including innovative nature-based solutions – the project will help protect vital transportation, tourism and fishery assets.”
— Juanita Spencer, CEO, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities

Quick Facts:

• the government created the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund in 2021 as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, its legislated commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, respond to climate change, transform how Nova Scotians produce and use energy, and make homes and buildings energy efficient, and more
• the program provides grants to municipalities, non-profit and community organizations, post-secondary institutions and Mi’kmaw communities to help them respond to and prepare for climate change impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities was selected through a request for proposals process to develop and administer the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund on behalf of the government
• the third round of the fund opened on February 24, 2025 and closed on April 22, 2025, with coastal protection projects given priority
• the government released The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline: The plan to protect people, homes and nature from climate change, on February 26, 2024; it has 15 actions for property owners, municipalities and the Province to take to make coastal homes, communities and natural areas safer

Additional Resources:

More information on the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund is available at: https://nschallengefund.ca/

News releases about the fund and related projects: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?field_topics=228

Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/environmental%20goals%20and%20climate%20change%20reduction.pdf

Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ns-climate-change-plan.pdf

The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline: A plan to protect people, homes and nature from climate change: https://novascotia.ca/coastal-climate-change/docs/coastline-plan.pdf

Powering the Transition: Nova Scotia 2025 Climate Change Risk Assessment: https://climatechange.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/climate-change-risk--assessment-2025.pdf