Protestors want construction of a new home on Eagle Head Beach to stop. Photo contributed by Talla Corkum

The owner and a contractor building a beach home on Eagle Head Road have been fined for violations of the Environment Act.

Tickets were issued by the Department of Environment and Climate Change for changing a watercourse without approval.

Fines of $1,157.50 have been levied against the contractor and $697.50 against the owner.

The department is still investigating reports of wildlife habitat being impacted by the construction which is taking place close to the beach but above the high-water line.

The new home build has upset local residents who mounted a protest Monday at the construction site.

They say the new home is disturbing sensitive beach grasses, waterways, and wildlife habitat.

One of the administrators for the Facebook page Protect Eagle Head Beach Talla Corkum says the destruction of the dunes and waterway flies in the face of the community’s values.

She says many of the protestors at Monday’s demonstration are seeing the property for the first time.

“The biggest reaction was just, how? Because these are people who have grown up around this beach for years, for so long and they’ve seen it and growing up around here we have been taught to respect the beach, that we can’t take any sand, we can’t move the rocks, we can’t take the rocks off the beach. That the dunes are sacred, basically,” said Corkum. “We have learned so much respect for this beach then, to see the, the change, the flip on the way that this beach is being treated, I think was very jarring for a lot of people who haven’t got a chance to see the site yet.”

While Corkum is pleased to see the province take some action, she doesn’t feel the fines are a real deterrent and is looking for stronger action to be taken to protect the beach.

“It’s a step and it‘s encouraging to feel like people are listening, people are trying. The investigation isn’t just open and shut and that, they are still looking at things that could be going wrong.”

She says the community has rallied behind the group’s efforts and they will continue to pressure officials and are planning more protests to raise awareness to keep this from happening again.

“It has been a lot of work. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Corkum. “If this protects one more beach, I will be happy.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Eagle Head Beach construction. Photo Ed Halverson

Residents around Eagle Head Beach are sounding the alarm about the ecological impacts of a new house being built just off the dunes.

Since construction began earlier this month access to the beach has been cut off by construction equipment.

A group of beach users has formed a Facebook page called Protecting Eagle Head Beach to share information and raise awareness of the changes being made to the natural environment.

One of the Administrators of the page Talla Corkum says they’re hoping to see more concrete action taken to save the beach.

“Making sure all the permits are there, even seeing if there’s a way we can get a stop-work order.”

Corkum says the group is not only concerned about the changes to the environment but also the loss of access to the beach.

She says the large trucks coming and going are destroying the road and once the new house is built it will essentially become a driveway barring people from accessing the beach from the Eagle Head wharf side.

“Trying to prove the right of way and regain the right of way onto the beach. Especially now with the ruts that have created these big puddles, we have now lost access, walking access, to the beach from the side on Eagle Head Wharf Rd,” said Corkum. “Unless you wear boots up to your knees you can’t really get down there anymore.”

Heavy equipment blocks the road to Eagle Head Beach. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman spoke with officials at the provincial public works department and learned the road was previously recognized but that may not be enough to prove the existing road is public.

“They believe there was and I know it shows on a church map from 1886 but as we all know, beaches are constantly moving and sand beaches are constantly moving back,” said Norman.

In 2019 the province passed the Coastal Protection Act to help ensure that new development happens high enough and back far enough to be safe from coastal flooding and erosion as well as preventing unnecessary interference with Nova Scotia’s coast.

The act is now waiting on regulations to be drafted before it will be enforced.

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Climate Change says this a huge piece of work that requires extensive collaboration, in additional to the consultations that’s already been completed.

Government anticipates the new regulations will be ready in 2023.

Corkum says if the Coastal Protection Act had been in place, none of this would have happened.

She says the group will press on with letter writing campaigns and contacting elected representatives, department officials and environmental groups in the hopes of getting someone to put a stop to the development before too much of the property is permanently altered.

However, she fears what happened to Eagle Head Beach may end up being a warning for other coastal areas in Nova Scotia.

“From this point now, we’re realizing that there might not be so much capabilities of saving Eagle Head Beach. Now we are more just using this as grounds to help other coastal areas in Nova Scotia. To try and make our voices heard. Maybe get the bill moving faster. Maybe even, another community will learn from us and we can help them. Just generally trying to protect the coast, especially now considering when you drive down the highway it says Queens Coast and there’s a lot of issues around the coast,” said Corkum. “I know that if we are the ones to make our voices heard it might prevent other people from in-filling, knowing where the community stands.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.