Plan for Chignecto Isthmus work could be ready in about 12 months

The deputy minister of Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works says it's too soon to know when work will begin on upgrading and strengthening the Chignecto Isthmus, but a plan for the work and the ensuing tender could be finalized within 12 months.

"We are getting to a point where we have a plan that we can probably settle on that we think will work," Peter Hackett told reporters following a legislative committee meeting on Wednesday in Halifax.

The work to raise and strengthen the dikes between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is necessary to ensure the land connection is preserved in the face of more powerful storms and mounting concerns about climate change.

The isthmus is Nova Scotia's only land connection to the rest of the country and millions of dollars of goods cross it each day.

When construction begins, it's expected to take 10 years and cost $600 million.

Hackett and his team were scheduled to meet with their New Brunswick counterparts on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss progress on planning the work and how it will happen. About 70 per cent of the dike system is in New Brunswick, with the rest lying in Nova Scotia.

The prep work, which includes public and First Nations consultation and obtaining environmental permits, is "fairly easy" when just one province is involved, said Hackett, but in this case it includes two provinces and the federal government.

Among other details, the two provincial governments are waiting to hear the result of their application to Ottawa for funding assistance. 

Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are also taking the federal government to court, arguing that it has complete jurisdiction for the costs of the project. Ottawa has said it would cover half the costs, with the remainder falling to the provinces.

Contingency planning

While they wait to confirm a design and begin work, Hackett said government officials in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have worked on contingency plans that could keep goods flowing even in the event that a major storm damages the area and forces the closure of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Public Works Minister Kim Masland told reporters last month that there is a so-called plan B that can be used, and that the plan is being discussed with municipal and emergency officials in the areas surrounding the isthmus.

Hackett said the longer it takes to get the work going, the more concerns grow about major storms and their potential impacts on the area. But he said he believes there are enough resources in place to minimize the potential impacts of the highway being closed due to flooding.