Peaceful protest planned
immediately, and deal with legal issues later.
“It’s not rocket science,” she said. She added that residents in Hantsport, Mount Denson and beyond are also worried about emergency response times if any of the roads or bridges are compromised by the tidal water.
Demonstration planned
The committee is also planning a public demonstration on Jan. 4 along the Highway 1 bridge during high tide, to highlight the community’s concern.
Members of the public are gathering at the Hantsport Baptist Church at 11:30 a.m. before heading to the bridge. RCMP will be on scene for traffic control.
Curry said it’s a way to bring more attention to the issue.
“We’re here, we’re not going to give up and we expect a clever and economical resolution to this,” she said. “This has been going on now for 15, 16 months and it’s not getting any better. We need this to get done.”
Signs that read “Save Our Aboiteau” and “Province of Nova Scotia Please Help Us” now line the entrance to the community.
The signs are primarily placed on HMCC land.
Marla MacInnis, a media relations advisor with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, said the Hantsport and Windsor Railway Company has applied through the Department of Environment for permits to repair the aboiteau.
“In the meantime, we continue to monitor provincial infrastructure in the area to ensure public safety,” MacInnis said.
There is a court date between the province and the railway company on Jan. 9. For legal reasons, MacInnis was not able to comment further on the issue.
Hantsport municipal councillor and former mayor, Robbie Zwicker, said people are tired of waiting for the province to figure this out.
“People in Hantsport are (fed up) with our provincial government’s inaction on the failed aboiteau,” Zwicker said. “Enough is enough.”
Zwicker said he’d like to see a temporary fix in place soon, perhaps a box culvert allowing restricted tidal flow and fish passage.
“Fight about who pays after… neither an expensive nor complex repair,” he added.
West Hants Warden Abraham Zebian took a similar tone, saying the municipal government is very concerned about the “dire situation” in Hantsport.
“With every high tide, more and more water flows through causing more soil erosion and damage. Water levels constantly reach road level creating dangerous driving conditions, especially now since winter is here,” said Zebian.
“There is no more time to sit back and not act. The municipality and its residents in Hantsport need help from the province to fix this problem immediately and worry about who is responsible for the costs later through the court system. We need action, not finger pointing.”