Halifax demands company remove barriers from Dartmouth Cove trail

The Halifax Regional Municipality is demanding a company remove the barriers it allegedly placed on the Harbour Trail in Dartmouth on Wednesday.

According to a letter from a solicitor for the municipality, the company that “unlawfully placed” the barriers at the end of Old Ferry Road must remove them by noon Friday. If they fail to do so by the deadline, the municipality will take them away at the company’s expense.

“My client has not authorized the placement of these structures, and their presence on the property constitutes an unauthorized encroachment,” the letter reads.

On Wednesday, Bruce Wood, CFO of Atlantic Road Construction and Paving (ARCP), confirmed to CTV News Atlantic the company put up a temporary safety fence on the trail to work on the property for seven-to-14 days.

Woods did not provide details on the kind of work at the property.

An emailed statement from Build Nova Scotia – a provincial Crown corporation operating at the intersection of public and private sector – said ARCP’s actions are “disappointing.”

The corporation goes on to say ARCP did not receive permission from the province before placing the barriers and obstructions on provincially-owned land.

“The province is ordering the removal of all fencing, concrete blocks, and other barriers that obstruct access to the trail on Build Nova Scotia properties,” said Build Nova Scotia.

“If not removed by noon on Friday, Build NS will undertake the removal of these items at the company’s expense.”

Dartmouth South MLA Claudia Chender said the company initially installed metal fences, but members of the public removed them. She said the company later returned and put up concrete barricades.

"They are illegally blockading the land," she said. "This is bully intimidation. There are ways in and around these barricades but it’s not safe, it’s not legal."

ARCP was set to start an infill project at Dartmouth Cove, a project that drew heavy criticism from the public and politicians. Earlier this year, Transport Canada began the steps to rescind ARCP’s approval to dump 100,000 cubic metre of pyritic slate at the cove.

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