The town of Mahone Bay will be better protected from the impacts of climate change after an investment of $928,000 from the federal government, $922,100 from Coastal Action, and $16,950 from the town of Mahone Bay.
Jessica Fancy-Landry, Member of Parliament for South Shore-St. Margarets, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada; Her Worship Suzanne Lohnes-Croft, Mayor of the Town of Mahone Bay; and Jordan Veinot, Climate Change Program Manager, Coastal Action gathered today to make this announcement.
Mahone Bay is vulnerable to flooding, coastal erosion, and contaminated stormwater runoff entering the harbour due to sea level rise, storm surge, and increased precipitation. To protect the town, Coastal Action, a non-profit environmental organization based in Mahone Bay, is leading on a project that will reduce flooding and mitigate coastal erosion.
The project will include the construction of a living shoreline, a nearshore breakwater, a tidal wetland, and a raised dyke along 100 metres of Edgewater Street in Mahone Bay. A living shoreline is a stabilized, vegetated bank that uses native plants and natural materials to prevent erosion while supporting habitat. A nearshore breakwater, in this case rock sills, is a separate, detached structure-typically made of hard materials and placed parallel to the shore-that reduces wave energy before it reaches the shoreline, offering additional protection to the area behind it. This project will build on the success of a 60 metre site that was installed in 2022 as a pilot project.
Investments in natural infrastructure bring tangible benefits to communities by improving access to nature, providing cleaner air and water, protecting and preserving biodiversity and wildlife habitats.
