That\u2019s a departure from recent statements by the provincial ministers from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. In an April news release<\/a>, New Brunswick transportation and infrastructure minister Jeff Carr said, \u201cwe want the federal government to be a majority, lion\u2019s-share stakeholder in funding this project, because neither province can afford to foot the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n The release goes on to say \u201cboth provinces are pressing for the federal government to carry more than a 50 per cent share of the cost,\u201d but does not go so far as to call for 100% funding. As for the federal government, a spokesperson for Infrastructure Minister and MLA for Beaus\u00e9jour Dominic Leblanc reaffirmed the invitation for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to apply for federal funding under the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. That would allow for a maximum of 50% of the cost to be covered by the federal government.<\/p>\n Two major proponents of the flood protection project say they are focused on making sure the project is completed as soon as possible, and not on the disagreements in who might fund it.<\/p>\n Amherst mayor David Kogon has been aware of the Chignecto flood risk since 2016, shortly after he was elected. He and then-Sackville mayor John Higham helped get the ball rolling on a $700,000 engineering study to look at options to secure the transportation corridor.<\/p>\n Amherst mayor David Kogon and then-Sackville mayor John Higham meet at the closed provincial border in June 2020.\u00a0 Photo: Town of Amherst<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Kogon says it\u2019s not his place to weigh in on federal or provincial positions on the issue, but he is concerned about the potential delay that could be cause by a disagreement. \u201cThis might be an issue that\u2019s going to take some time to resolve,\u201d says Kogon, \u201cand therefore potentially delay work being done on the dikes. That would be a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n Kogon says he understands the premiers position, considering the widespread impact that a flooding of the CN rail line and TransCanada highway would have. The ramifications go \u201cfar beyond the two provinces and affects the entire country,\u201d says Kogon.<\/p>\n On the same weekend that the premiers were meeting in PEI, Kogon hosted a group mayors from Atlantic Canada in Amherst. The Atlantic Mayors Caucus released their own statement calling for immediate action on the Chignecto Isthmus. The group is, \u201curging the Province of Nova Scotia, Province of New Brunswick, and the Government of Canada to immediately establish a Steering Committee to lead the work required to prepare for upgrade or replacement of the Chignecto Isthmus protective Infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n Although they only name the governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the Atlantic Mayors Caucus also says the Isthmus steering committee must include municipal leaders from all four Atlantic Provinces.<\/p>\n Former Cumberland MP Bill Casey is one of the first politicians to voice concern over risks to the Isthmus transportation corridor in light of rising sea levels. He recalls being alerted to a 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report<\/a>, which cited the Isthmus corridor as an example of serious risk, along with the city of New Orleans.<\/p>\n Screencap from New Brunswick Flood Hazard Maps. The light blue area is labelled \u201cPresent Day Flood, 1 in 20 year (5% Annual Exceedance Probability)\u201d.<\/p><\/div>\n Casey gave a presentation to the recent mayors congress about the Isthmus and the plans to protect it. He says with an estimated $50 million in trade each day traversing the corridor, the price tag of $200 to $300 million to protect it represents just four to six days of a shutdown of the transportation links.<\/p>\n The last funding agreement on the Isthmus problem was agreed to in 2018, when New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the federal government agreed to cost share the engineering study (released publicly in 2022) on how to protect the corridor. The provinces each covered one quarter, with the federal government paying 50% of the $700,000 price tag.<\/p>\n
\nHowever, Carr did compare the Isthmus protection project to the Confederation Bridge, noting that the PEI link was \u201cmostly paid for by Ottawa.\u201d<\/p>\nLocal advocates call for fast-action<\/h2>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.chmafm.com\/welcome\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Kogon-and-Higham-June-16-2020-1.jpeg?resize=504%2C336&ssl=1\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-19-at-9.42.02-AM-500x380.png\")