Sea gate for Digby Gut?

Municipalities join forces; enter Smart Cities Challenge to win cash for engineering study

Four municipal partners are hoping their joint entry into a federal Smart Cities Challenge will land them cash to study the possibility of building a flood mitigation system and renewable energy source at the Digby Gut.

“It’s basically proposing a gate that would close during storms to redirect the significant flow of water,” said Annapolis Royal Mayor Bill Macdonald, adding the necessary superstructure would also generate tidal electricity. “So a renewable resource. The gates would remain open to vessel traffic, to marine traffic, and marine life until there was a reason to close it.”

Annapolis Royal is partnering with the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, the Town of Digby, and the Municipality of the District of Digby as they compete in the challenge that could mean a $250,000 prize to fund an engineering study to see if the sea gate proposal is workable.

The Digby Gut is a 4.5-kilometre opening from the Bay of Fundy to the Annapolis Basin measuring from 800 metres at its narrowest to 1.6 kilometres at its widest. Directly south through the gut is the Town of Digby and Smiths Cove. To the northeast up the Annapolis Basin are numerous communities including Port Royal, Cornwallis, Granville Ferry and Annapolis Royal.

See SEA GATE, A2