Key Takeaways:
- The Chignecto Isthmus, which connects the 2, serves as a transportation corridor for goods worth around $35 billion.
- The 2 mayors are pleased to understand that a plan has been developed that considers three options for strengthening the dikes to prevent future flooding in the area.
The threat of rising sea levels and flooding is a very real concern for the towns of Sackville, N.B., and Amherst, N.S.
The Chignecto Isthmus, which connects the two, serves as a transportation corridor for approximately $35 billion worth of goods.
Both towns are located on the edge of that stretch of land, but the dikes were built to prevent flooding of the Trans Canada Highway, and the towns are now in jeopardy.
The two mayors are pleased to learn that a plan has been developed that considers three options for bolstering the dikes to prevent future flooding in the area.
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Shawn Mesheau, the mayor of Sackville, said, “It appears to be very well thought out.” “Only from what I’ve seen thus far.”
“I was very pleased because they were given ten options from which they would choose the top three,” said David Kogon, mayor of Amherst.
“What pleased me the most was the emphasis on protecting not only the transportation corridor, but also the communities as well as farmland among the two major communities of Sackville, New Brunswick, and Amherst, Nova Scotia.”
Depending on the peak of the sea levels when the dikes are breached, 25 to 33 percent of Amherst could be underwater, according to Kogon, who has raised the issue of permanent flooding since 2016.
According to a study released on Friday, the dikes can be built in three ways.
It proposes spending $200 million to raise the height of the existing 35 kilometers of dikes, $189 million to construct new dikes, or $301 million to raise the existing dikes as well as install steel sheet pile walls in select locations.
“From my perspective, yesterday’s announcement was extremely positive news,” Kogon said. “I believe that all three options will address my primary concern, which is the safety of the Town of Amherst.”
According to the study, it will take five years to begin construction and ten years to complete the project from the start date.
“It takes time to do proper consultation and legwork,” Mesheau said.
Source: Global News
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