11 N.S. municipalities to share in federal funding for climate projects

Eleven Nova Scotia municipalities are among the 70 across Canada that have been selected to receive funding totaling $5.2 million for climate adaptation initiatives. This announcement was made by Julie Dabrusin, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth on Friday.

According to Dabrusin, the funding aims to assist municipalities in preparing for the impacts of climate change, which she emphasized is a pressing issue affecting communities nationwide. One such municipality that will benefit from this funding is the Town of Pictou, which plans to use the funds to hire a dedicated individual to advance their climate action plans in collaboration with the Municipality of Pictou County.

Kyle Slaunwhite, the Chief Administrative Officer of Pictou, highlighted the importance of having a full-time climate change expert to drive their efforts in this area, as the town lacks the resources to do so on a part-time basis. The town aims to fill this position by the end of September.

The federal government, in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, has allocated the funding as part of the Green Municipal Fund initiative. Brittany Merrifield, a board member of the federation and Mayor of Grand Bay-Westfield in New Brunswick, shared that $2.8 million of the funding will benefit 43 municipalities in Atlantic Canada.

In Kentville, Nova Scotia, the funding will support the development of a climate risk database, public workshops, and climate adaptation plans. Projects such as backup generators, storm-water management, and dike construction could also be funded through this initiative, as mentioned by Dabrusin.

The funding recipients in Nova Scotia include the County of Antigonish, Municipality of Argyle, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Municipality of the County of Inverness, Municipality of the County of Richmond, Municipality of Victoria County, Municipality of the District of Yarmouth, and the Town of Yarmouth, each receiving $70,000 to support their climate adaptation efforts.

Overall, this funding will enable municipalities to strengthen their resilience to the impacts of climate change and take proactive steps towards a sustainable future.