Letter to the Premier Regarding Dartmouth Cove

Premier Tim Houston
Office of the Premier
7th Floor, One Government Place
1700 Granville Street
Halifax, NS B3J 1X5

Environment and Climate Change Minister Tim Halman
Department of Environment and Climate Change
1894 Barrington Street, Suite 1800
P.O. Box 442
Halifax, NS B3J 2P8

August 21, 2024

Dear Premier Houston and Minister Halman, 

Once again, I am writing to urge you to take action on the Dartmouth Cove file as the company that wants to turn the area into a dumping ground for pyritic slate has escalated their tactics.

This morning, workers from Atlantic Road Construction & Paving Ltd. set up barricades across the Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail, blocking access to a well-used public recreation path which sits atop an easement for the pipes beneath, as well as property parcels belonging to Build Nova Scotia and HRM. 

Build Nova Scotia has confirmed the company was not given permission to access this land, and that access would not be considered without the proper approvals for building from other levels of government. When local residents removed these illegal barriers, the company called the police. The police kept the peace and the company has halted their efforts to install the fence for today. What’s clear is that the public will not stand for this kind of bullying.

As you know, Transport Canada rescinded its approval for the Dartmouth Cove infilling project, which would have turned Dartmouth Cove and its trail into a dump. This would imperil the economic and safety roles of the neighboring Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) and is a clear violation of community trust. Tom Hickey, CEO of Atlantic Road Construction & Paving Ltd., is now making a legal bid to the federal Fisheries Minister – but in the meantime, he and his companies have no approvals, no legal easements, and no right to block this trail.

This government has stayed silent on this issue for far too long. The infilling project is opposed by the community, the local councillor, the Member of Parliament, and myself. It would put the important work of COVE at risk and necessitate the eviction of the Maritime Search and Rescue operations, which lease docks at the north end of that site. Pyritic slate is a reality of building in Nova Scotia, but there are other sites available for tipping and the province needs to find sensible places to dispose of it.

Mr. Premier, you have previously described Mr. Hickey as a “personal friend.” He also holds a subcontract to dispose of slate from the hospital redevelopment work – disposal that could easily occur at other sites. We hope that your friendship with Mr. Hickey and provincial contracts have not played a role in your refusal to act on this matter.

We urge you and your government to immediately protect our waterways and coastlines. You must take action to ensure Dartmouth Cove and the Harbourwalk Trail remain a treasured community hub for decades to come and to ensure that we can safely and sensibly dispose of the construction debris for projects happening across the city and around the province. 

Sincerely, 
Claudia Chender
Leader, Nova Scotia New Democrats
MLA, Dartmouth South