Transport Canada Issues Amended Approval
- Friends of Dartmouth Cove
- Oct 26
- 2 min read
This fall has brought important developments in the effort to protect Dartmouth Cove — and with them, renewed urgency for our community to stay engaged.
A New Minister, and a Critical Decision Ahead
Last week, John A. MacDonald was sworn in as Nova Scotia’s new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. With his appointment, the proposed bylaw amendments passed unanimously by Halifax Regional Council to restrict future infilling in Dartmouth Cove now land on his desk.
If you’ve already written to the previous Minister, please resend your message or send a new one. It’s vital that this file is one of the first things Minister MacDonald sees.
Email: dmamin@novascotia.ca
Ask them to:
Approve HRM’s Dartmouth Cove bylaws without delay. This bylaw is clear placing the public good over private profit and any efforts to interfere with this bylaw would be at the detriment of the community.
Respect municipal authority to protect coastlines.
Support HRM’s leadership on climate resilience and coastal planning.
This is exactly the kind of local decision-making the Province said it wanted when it scrapped the Coastal Protection Act — giving municipalities the tools to lead on safeguarding communities from rising seas, erosion, and storm damage. HRM has done just that. Now, we need the Province to uphold its own commitment to local leadership.
Transport Canada’s Amended Approval
On October 23, Transport Canada issued an amended approval for ARCP’s proposed infill project in Dartmouth Cove. The letter confirms that the company’s application has been adjusted to a slightly smaller footprint — but more importantly, it makes one thing clear:
“It is the owner’s responsibility to comply with any other applicable laws and regulations.”
That means no infill work can legally proceed unless all other required approvals are in place — including the adoption of HRM’s new bylaws and authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
All Eyes Now on DFO
With Transport Canada’s amended approval now finalized, DFO is the final federal safeguard. Their authorization will determine whether ARCP’s project can legally proceed under the Fisheries Act — and whether the destruction of over 27,000 square metres of marine fish habitat will be permitted.
DFO has already acknowledged the serious environmental risks, including impacts to eelgrass meadows, fish habitat, and water quality. But after months of delay, they still haven’t issued a final decision.
In the coming days, we'll encouraging all community members, and especially those in the scientific community, to reach out to Minister Joanne Thompson, urging DFO to reject this proposal outright and to challenge ARCP’s misleading claims that this project constitutes “eco-infill” or environmental remediation.
The Path Forward
The community’s message remains clear:
The Province must approve HRM’s Dartmouth Cove bylaws and respect municipal jurisdiction.
The federal government must uphold its environmental responsibilities by rejecting this project.
There are already safe, permitted, and appropriate sequestration sites for pyritic slate operating across the region. Dartmouth Cove should not — and must not — become a dumping ground for industrial waste under the false pretense of “restoration.”