Transport Canada moving to rescind approval for Dartmouth Cove infill project: minister’s office
Transport Canada has begun the steps for rescinding its approval for the Dartmouth Cove infill project that has caused much back and forth between locals and officials.
In an email to CTV Atlantic News late Wednesday afternoon, the minister of transport’s office confirmed the department has started the process of rescinding approval.
In beginning this process, the department has conceded on the application for judicial review brought by the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), which is headquartered nearby the proposed infill site.
COVE recently filed the application in federal court.
The government reached out to COVE and the developer to seek their consent to stop the judicial review process, rescind the decision, and restart the consultations, read the email from the minister's office.
Under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, Transport Canada renders decisions related to the impacts on navigation only and does not evaluate the overall use or merits of a given project.
Dartmouth Cove can be accessed by Maitland Street and a cycling and pedestrian path. It's currently used as a park space.
The email ends saying Transport Canada will continue to co-operate with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) on any potential regulations they put forward.
Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP Darren Fisher shared his approval of the decision through a letter posted to his website and social media accounts.
In the post, Fisher said he wrote a letter to the minister of transport in April, asking him to rescind approval for the project, adding he firmly believes “Transport Canada failed to meet their mandate.”
He said the infill project would have seen nearly seven acres of the cove filled in with pyritic slate from construction sites in the region.
"I spoke with the minister and learned that on Friday, Transport Canada began the process to rescind their approval, resetting the clock on their consultation process," read the letter. "This is a win for our community, but Dartmouth Cove isn’t protected, yet."
The transport minister's office said the HRM has an opportunity to introduce a municipal bylaw concerning infills, similar to what was done with the Northwest Arm.
Fisher agrees that is the best way to protect the Dartmouth Cove from unnecessary infill projects now and in the future.
Dartmouth Cove is pictured. (Paul Hollingsworth/CTV Atlantic)
In April, Transport Canada gave approval for Atlantic Road Construction and Paving to dump approximately 100,000 cubic metres of pyritic slate into the cove, angering many locals in the area.
However, the infill proposal by Atlantic Road Construction and Paving still required approval from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) before infilling could be considered.
The DFO confirmed to CTV News last week they informed the road construction company more time was needed for public consultation and extended its review time.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
Correction
This is a corrected story. The previous version of this story did not clearly convey the Minister of Transport’s statement and mistakenly attributed some information to that office. We regret the error.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former Alberta teacher sentenced to 4 years for sexually assaulting student
A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years for sexually abusing a student.
Ontario plans to bar international students from medical schools starting in 2026
Ontario will not allow international students in medical schools beginning in the fall of 2026, and will also cover tuition for more than 1,000 students who commit to becoming a family doctor in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford said Friday.
Here's a look at Musk's contact with Putin and why it matters
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of major government contractor SpaceX and a key ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the last two years, The Wall Street Journal reported.
DEVELOPING Four arrested in Poland over alleged plot to send explosives via courier to Canada, U.S.
Polish authorities have arrested four individuals they allege planned to send parcels containing camouflaged explosives and dangerous materials to Canada and the United States, according to Poland’s government website.
DNA tests identify 19th-century teenager's skull found in Illinois home's wall
Investigators have determined that a skull discovered in the wall of an Illinois home in 1978 was that of an Indiana teenager who died more than 150 years ago, authorities announced Thursday.
Mother sues AI chatbot company Character.AI, Google over son's suicide
A Florida mother has sued artificial intelligence chatbot startup Character.AI, accusing it of causing her 14-year-old son's suicide in February and saying he became addicted to the company's service and deeply attached to a chatbot it created.
Mom and child jumped from a window to escape a Las Vegas fire that killed 2 children and 2 adults
Two adults and two children were found dead in the charred rubble of a house fire after a mother and another child jumped from a third-floor window to escape flames in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, authorities said.
'Well-man' remains found at a castle have been linked to an 800-year-old Norse saga
Researchers have connected the identity of skeletal remains found in a well at Norway’s Sverresborg castle to a passage in a centuries-old Norse text.
Ottawa police deem death of a woman in south end park a femicide
A Montreal man is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the stabbing death of a woman at a park in Ottawa’s south end on Thursday.