St. Margaret's Bay
Stewardship Association
Coastal Development and Access
Most of St. Margaret’s Bay is zoned “Mixed Use” and is governed by “as of right” rules. A land owner can put up
pretty much anything anywhere. These rules, our Land-use By-laws and Municipal Planning Strategies,
were developed many years ago, long before amalgamation and higher density, when the area was still rural.
On both the Halifax Regional Municipailty side, and on the Lunenburg County side, development on the Bay
is "managed" by a complex array of over 14 disconnected regulatory authorities at all three levels
of government. There is no coordinated, integrated plan in place to guide coastal development so
that it is sustainable and reflects the collective vision of the people of the Bay. The issues of climate change,
erosion and coastal flooding due to sea level rise is a whole other kettle of fish.
Our Position and Proposed Solutions
We seek to engage the people of the Bay in a continuing community visioning process based on respect for
the natural world which surrounds us and evolving development patterns. How can we hold onto those
qualities of our life we value most and make sure that we hand them on to succeeding generations
in even better condition than we received them. This includes talking about climate change as a reality
and educating ourselves about how best to cope with it.
We will work closely with other organizations through the Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia to guide the evolution
of government policy like Nova Scotia's new Coastal Framework, in particular to encourage cooperation
between not only the numerous provincial agencies involved in coastal issues, but also the
various agencies of the municipal and the federal government.
We will also establish strong working relationships with government staff and elected representatives
at all three levels of government to realize the Bay's community vision and ensure it is reflected in law.
NOVA SCOTIA NEEDS A COASTAL ACT
In Nova Scotia our relationship with the coast defines us. We are tied to the coast in everything we do. It is our most important and possibly most endangered resource. What are we doing to protect it?
We all pay the price for bad development; and we all benefit when we do thing right. The Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia believes a Coastal Act will help us make the best choices when locating new coastal industries.
A Coastal Act would define coastal principles on which we all agree.
A Coastal Act would clearly define who is responsible.
A Coastal Act would enable effective coastal management.
Who will benefit? We all will.
The Coastal Coalition of Nova Scotia and its partner organizations including the
St. Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association is working towards new legislation.
For more information about these issues and the coalition's work
go to the website and/or download the brochure
The St. Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association is also seeking ways and means to
make more access points to the shoreline of the Bay available to the public.
We will keep you updated on our progress.
