After hearing the wonderful news about HRM protecting the Northwest Arm from unnecessary infill, I wrote again to the Minister of Transport asking for further assurances that the department would continue offering support to HRM should they wish to further regulate infilling of waterlots in the municipality, including those located in Dartmouth Cove.
Here is the text of my letter (you can find a scanned copy below).
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez
Minister of Transport
TC.MinisterofTransport-MinistredesTransports.TC@tc.gc.ca
January 11, 2024
Dear Minister,
I am writing to you about pre-Confederation waterlots in the Halifax Harbour, including waterlots in Dartmouth Cove. I have written to your predecessor in the past on this topic, and I appreciated his assurance that Transport Canada would continue to offer full cooperation to the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), should they wish to pursue by-laws regarding these waterlots.
I welcome and am grateful to see HRM asserting their authority by passing amendments to restrict water lot infilling on the Northwest Arm. I recognize that Transport Canada officials were helpful as they underwent this complicated process, and I hope that HRM will continue to make progress on this issue.
As you know, my constituents have very real concerns surrounding a Dartmouth Cove infill project, however, most of these concerns fall outside of federal jurisdiction, just as they did in Halifax for the Northwest Arm. The municipality has the opportunity to pursue further regulation to address these concerns.
I recognize that HRM does not require federal approval to regulate within municipal authorities. And I recognize that in the past, Transport Canada, including the previous Minister of Transport, let the municipality know that they could expect cooperation on these issues to avoid jurisdictional concerns.
As the Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, I am asking that you reaffirm your department’s commitment and again offer full cooperation to HRM, should they wish to further regulate infilling of waterlots in the municipality, including those located in Dartmouth Cove.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out should you wish to discuss this important matter.
Best regards,
Darren Fisher
Member of Parliament
Dartmouth—Cole Harbour
CC
Mayor Mike Savage, Halifax Regional Municipality
Councillor Sam Austin, District 5, Dartmouth Centre
Friends of Dartmouth Cove
