Latest news with #BayofFundy
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
'Long overdue' dikeland upgrades coming to rural N.S. community
A rural Nova Scotia community on the Bay of Fundy is preparing for the most significant upgrades in decades to the dikeland system that protects it from flooding. The work has been approved for Advocate Harbour, N.S., which has been identified as being at risk due to rising sea levels caused by climate change. People who live along the shore of the coastal community got to see plans for the project at a meeting in April. "It's been a long time coming," said Linda Black, whose home is within a couple of hundred metres of the shore. "It's scary when the tide is in full and that water is up to the top of the rocks." Her neighbour Mike Berry recalls the water being at his fence line during a storm in 2019. "The cattle were stranded on the high points. There was no damage, but it just put things in perspective," Berry said. The upgrades will see the height of the dike walls increased by two metres to an elevation of 7.6 metres in some parts. They will also be extended by an additional 500 metres to provide added protection to the community. The project is equally funded by the provincial and federal governments through a disaster mitigation and adaptation fund. Climate change is the big driver for the reinforcement work, with projections in Nova Scotia showing sea levels are anticipated to rise up to one metre by 2100. "The risk currently is that we're seeing flooding in certain regions of Nova Scotia and with the dike increase in height, we would protect the town and local infrastructure and agricultural farmlands from that flooding," said Jessica LeBlanc, a project engineer for the provincial Department of Public Works. While the dikes are continually maintained, LeBlanc said there has not been extensive work on them since the 1950s. The site is one of 16 the province earmarked for upgrades based on their vulnerability. Thousands of tons of armour rock will be needed to build up the seaward side of the dike, with grass on the land side, she said. The number of trucks that will be carrying rock through the community is a concern for the owners of the Wild Caraway restaurant. They are worried that the amount of construction might spoil the experience for their guests, who could also lose some of the impressive harbour view when the dike is raised. However, they're also pleased there will be added defence from any possible storm surges. "It's always in the back of our minds," said Marchel Strong, the councillor for the area, who is also a volunteer firefighter and has been part of the flood risk committee. "It's not if, it's when we have another breach. And it could be anytime," Strong said. "So it's definitely something that is long overdue." People in the area prefer the option that is now going ahead rather than raising up the road, which Strong said could have resulted in having to relocate the post office. And she's happy that on top of the dike there will be walking trails people can explore when the tide is out. "It'll make it much more viable for tourists," Strong said, estimating the project will cost about $7 million. The Advocate Country Store, located close to the shoreline, is pleased to know the embankments will be strengthened. The residential care facility just across the street, which already has a disaster plan in place, also thinks the work is important. "If a big storm happened and the dike breached, we would be quite vulnerable as our residents would have to be transported elsewhere and the community is quite isolated," said Bernadette Frank, the administrator of Chignecto Manor. There is still some permitting and regulatory work to be done, but the province expects work will start in the fall. The sheer size of the project means it will also take some time, with the province estimating construction will last up to two years.
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
Two Canadian UNESCO Geoparks cautioned to make improvements or risk losing status
Two unique areas of Atlantic Canada recognized for their geological significance five years ago have been cautioned to make changes or risk losing their rare status as UNESCO Global Geoparks — a designation that puts them on bucket lists of people around the world. "If I lose that, then my future is kind of uncertain to be honest," said Anna Hergert, the owner of Tide Rollers and Mudlarkers, a local tour company. Hergert takes people on custom tours through the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark, on the north shore of the Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. "For me that was one of the main reasons to settle in this area," she said during an interview inside the park, standing on the ocean floor during low tide. Geoparks are not pre-existing provincial or national parks, but rather distinct regions with internationally important geology — rock formations, caves, mountain ranges and fossil sites — that tell the story of Earth's history, and where local and Indigenous communities can promote their culture. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, revalidates geoparks every four years, and three of the five in Canada — among only 229 on the planet — have been told they need to improve. Cliffs of Fundy and the Discovery Geopark in Newfoundland and Labrador are still in limbo. The Percé Geopark in Quebec's Gaspé region, first designated in 2018, was also given recommendations to improve, but has since had its status confirmed for another four years. Cliffs of Fundy and Discovery both received their UNESCO designations in 2020. Unlike the more common UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are reviewed every eight years or so and of which there are more than 1,200 globally, geoparks undergo a "rigorous revalidation" every four years. The 'rigorous revalidation' process "This timeframe reflects the dynamic nature of the program, which places strong emphasis on ongoing community engagement, educational outreach, sustainable tourism and international co-operation," said a UNESCO spokesperson in a statement to CBC News. He said it is rare for a designation to be revoked. The revalidation is conducted by independent evaluators and includes a four- to five-day visit to the site, at the end of which the park receives a green card, meaning its status is renewed, a yellow card, meaning it has two years to make changes or get the dreaded red card, which means it will lose its status. In 2023, Cliffs of Fundy and Discovery received visits from two independent evaluators from Germany and France, who produced a report in 2024. In July, both parks are expecting visits from two more evaluators — this time from Portugal and Iceland — to examine whether the previous recommendations have been implemented. The towering Cliffs of Fundy — steeped in Mi'kmaw history — boast the highest tides in the world and the oldest dinosaur bones in Canada. Geologists say it is also the only place on earth where they can see the record of the assembly of the world's supercontinent, Pangea, more than 300 million years ago, and when it it broke apart 100 million years later, drifting into the positions the continents are in today. The park received 10 recommendations, including the need to secure funding, put up more signage, improve infrastructure and access roads and better share the area's story. WATCH | Atlantic Canada sites could lose status as UNESCO Geoparks: 2 Canadian geoparks could lose UNESCO designation 13 hours ago Duration 2:13 Two of five places in Canada deemed UNESCO Global Geoparks are at risk of losing the prestigious designation if steps aren't taken to improve the sites with better signage and overall infrastructure. "Obviously it would have been lovely to have just received the green card," said Devin Trefry, Cliffs of Fundy's managing director. "But in a way, I think it's good that we've been motivated to really kind of hone in and focus to get things done." Trefry said the park got a slow start due to receiving the designation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the devastation caused by post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022 didn't help. But he said a lot of work has been done over the last year: the park is working toward receiving status as a charitable organization, which would allow donors to receive tax receipts; signs have been purchased and approved and just need to be erected; and new interpretive panels and a tourism map are in hand. He said the UNESCO designation has put the lesser-known area of the province on the map internationally and also raised its profile within Tourism Nova Scotia. The Discovery Geopark on Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula, on the eastern coast of the island, got a similar report card. Named for Italian explorer John Cabot's discovery of the new found land in June 1497, the Discovery Geopark is recognized for sea arches, fossils and rock formations, and was nearly 15 years in the making. The park received many of the same recommendations as the Nova Scotia park, including extending the network of geosites beyond the coast into the interior. Shawna Prince, chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador geopark and the owner of a whale-watching company in Trinity, is also a resident of the park. She said a number of new sites are in the works including one that looks at traditional Mi'kmaw medicinal plants, another that is an example of glacial scrape and one that will examine climate change and the effects of Hurricane Igor, which tore through the eastern part of the province in 2010. Prince said it was at first upsetting to receive the yellow card after putting so much work into achieving the designation but she said she felt a lot better after meeting with evaluators who explained the recommendations aren't meant to be punitive. In a statement, UNESCO, confirmed the suggestions do "not constitute a sanction" but rather are a support mechanism to maintain high standards. Having already been through the experience, Osric Parry-Canet, Percé's science and education manager, has some advice for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. "It's really just, continue working with your community, showing UNESCO how important the community is for you," he said. "Show UNESCO that having this geopark logo makes people understand what the rocks mean for them."
CBC
17-05-2025
- CBC
Subway ad campaign tries to lure Toronto, Montreal commuters with a taste of N.B.
You don't expect to see Hopewell Rocks inside the Bloor-Yonge subway station in Toronto, but that's exactly what Tourism New Brunswick's new marketing campaign has made possible. A new tourism campaign, called Get a Sense of New Brunswick, includes posters at subway stations in Toronto and Montreal, and a video featuring provincial hotspots such as the Bay of Fundy — all in an effort to attract more tourists from Ontario and Quebec. Melanie Deveau, assistant deputy minister of parks and tourism, said the posters focus on getting daily commuters to stop their "monotonous routines" and "step back and take a breath and say, 'Wow, I could be there if I went to New Brunswick.'" Deveau said the campaign is the result of a lot of research. "Ontario and Quebec have always been important markets to New Brunswick," she said, noting that about 120,000 visitors already come to the province from Toronto annually. People in Ontario and Quebec "want our Acadian culture," she said. "They want to come to the warmest saltwater beaches in Canada. They want the Bay of Fundy, that East Coast vibe." Five years ago, Andrew Ennals, a freelance advertising copywriter, moved back home to Sackville from Toronto, where he lived for 30 years. Ennals said the new campaign looks great and it's nice to see New Brunswick specifically targeting tourists in Toronto and Montreal. People who live in those cities tend to think of Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island as the Atlantic tourist destinations, he said. WATCH | 'We have the Great Lakes but we don't have the coast,' one Ontario visitor says: Ennals did say, however, the placement of ads within the station is key. Putting ads on staircases or hallways is not as effective. "The problem with putting stuff in that kind of scenario is that there's just a lot of people trying to get from one place to another. It's a big rush." He said the more effective locations are within the subway itself. "Or in the bus shelters. So places where you're standing around and you're waiting longer within the station." Another problem, Ennals said, is that New Brunswick has not focused on building a reputation as a tourist destination in the same way that Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have. It has an opportunity, though, to define itself as being different from those provinces but just as great a tourist destination, he said. "I think there's a quirkiness to New Brunswick that we could sort of push to the fore." Ennals praised the campaign's focus on emphasizing the landscape but said it would also benefit from emphasizing other aspects, like Acadian and Indigenous cultures.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Live from the Round Barn': Concert series to celebrate East Coast music
A new concert series for Bell Fibe TV, called 'Live from the Round Barn,' will celebrate East Coast music. The four-part series includes live tapings on June 6, featuring Alana Yorke and Champagne Weather, and June 7 with Garrett Mason and Old Man Luedecke. Taking place in Old Barns, N.S., the shows will intertwine 'live performances with intimate glimpses into featured artist lives.' 'Live at the Round Barn is more than just a concert—it's an experience rooted in place and sound,' says Beau Blois, owner of the Round Barn and producer of the series, in a news release. The series aims to not only showcase artists, but also the communities that inspire them. 'We will open the doors to our 135-year-old Octagon Barn overlooking the Bay of Fundy. With Black Angus cattle grazing just beyond the fence and music resonating through the vaulted wooden ceiling, it's a magical blend of history, acoustics, and pastoral beauty. We're proud to share this space and these performances with our community and beyond,' said Blois. The shows are for ages 19 and up and a portions of the proceeds will go to the Colchester East Hants Health Centre Foundation and the Cobequid Arts Council. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
