This article was updated at approximately 9 p.m. on April 14, 2023, to include a comment from the Government of Nova Scotia. 

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia say they're negotiating with Ottawa over the financing of a multi-million dollar infrastructure project that would protect a major land corridor from flooding.  

But Mayor David Kogon of Amherst, N.S., says the provinces should quit haggling and speed up the process before it’s too late. Tantramar Mayor Andrew Black has also called for the provincial government to take swifter action.

Upgrades to the system of dikes protecting the Chignecto Isthmus — the narrow strip of land that connects New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — could cost up to $300 million, according to a study published last year. The feds have offered to pay half that amount. 

The dikes were built in the 1600s by Acadian settlers to hold back floodwater from the Bay of Fundy. Officials from both provinces say the current height of the dikes is no longer sufficient because of the effects of climate change.

CHMA spoke to the Mayor of Amherst this week after he met with the Daniel Allain, New Brunswick’s Minister of Local Government. 

Mayor David Kogon said he warned the minister about the threat of an extreme weather event like the Saxby Gale of 1869, when a massive storm coincided with a full moon and a high tide.

Following the publication of this article, a spokesperson for the Government of Nova Scotia provided this emailed statement:

"We understand the importance of this issue. We continue to work with our partners in New Brunswick and Ottawa to determine the best possible solution to protect this crucial trade corridor for many years to come. The important thing to understand about this issue is the magnitude and scope of the solution. It is going to take hundreds of millions of dollars to do this and we need to be creative. Discussions remain ongoing."

Listen to the report from CHMA: