Residents voice concerns over proposal to infill Dartmouth Cove

More than 160 people gathered at a public meeting Monday night to express their concerns over a proposal to infill Dartmouth Cove -- a popular area for kayaking and fishing within Halifax Harbour.

A private company has submitted an application to fill the cove with pyritic slate and other forms of rock. That application will soon be considered by Transport Canada, which has jurisdiction in the case.

"People will say, well, you just don't want it in your yard. This affects a whole lot of other people,” said Jill Brogan, who helped organize Monday’s meeting in Darmouth. “Hundreds and hundreds of people use that [Dartmouth Harbourfront] trail every day, and lots of people use the cove. There's little fishing boats that come in, there's sailboats that come in.”

"If the feds give approval, there's a practical piece of, like, can they actually get out there to infill it, and do we have any cards to play in that regard to make sure this doesn't happen?" asked Sam Austin, the councillor for Dartmouth Centre, at Monday’s meeting.

On Tuesday, Austin put forward a motion to Halifax Regional Council, stating the infill could significantly impact the area, including the Dartmouth Harbourfront Trail, which runs along the cove.

He’s requesting staff to submit comments to Transport Canada, provide a report regarding what rights the Halifax Regional Municipality has in the case, and is also asking for a report on pyritic slate.

Meanwhile, Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP Darren Fisher has released a statement, saying the community shouldn't be used as a dumping ground for anyone's fill.

"From what I am seeing, there doesn't seem to be a plan in place from the proponent, other than dumping pyritic slate and quarry rock into Dartmouth Cove over multiple years," said Fisher in an online statement.

"We need to make sure that we are all listening to residents, that we are doing everything we can to work together to support our home.”

Will Balser from the Ecology Action Centre previously told CTV News the proposed infill highlights a regulatory gap between municipal, provincial, and federal governments when it comes to routine dumping of some materials.