Proposed Dartmouth Cove infilling clears another hurdle

A construction company is one step closer to infilling an area near a popular walking and cycling trail on the Dartmouth side of Halifax harbour after receiving an approval from Transport Canada.

Transport Canada looked at possible navigation impacts of the proposed project, which would see 100,000 square metres of pyritic slate and quarry rock dumped into a 2.7-hectare area of Dartmouth Cove by the applicant, Atlantic Road Construction and Paving.

"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," a spokesperson for Transport Canada said in an email.

An application posted on the Transport Canada website said the infilling would "provide enhanced waterfront access and land that will eventually enable future development."

MP Darren Fisher noted it's one of two federal approvals required for the plan to move forward. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans must also sign off on it in relation to its impact on marine habitats.

But Fisher does not want to see the project move forward at all.

"I don't believe that Dartmouth is a dumping ground for someone's fill," Fisher wrote in a statement.

"When I hear from folks in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, they're worried about access to their favourite trail, they're worried about dirt and noise from the trucks, and how this will impact the community they love, the community I love."

DFO said in a statement Friday the application was still under review to ensure it adheres to the Fisheries Act. 

"Our review considers a variety of factors including the scale of the project, the characteristics of the fish and fish habitat affected, and avoidance, mitigation and offsetting measures," the department said. "In addition, the department also considers potential adverse effects of regulatory decisions on the rights of Indigenous peoples."

Fisher is pushing for Halifax Regional Municipality to restrict infilling in that area, as they did for parts the Northwest Arm.

Residents walking along the trail Thursday shared Fisher's concerns.

"It's not a good thing," Dartmouth resident Margaret Barrett said Thursday.

Residents like Barrett are worried that if infilled, developers will be granted permission to build more high-rise developments on the land, similar to what has happened with the nearby King's Wharf development. 

Sam Austin, city councillor for the area, said he's not happy with the decision. 

"It's really discouraging, frankly, and disappointing that Transport Canada has gone ahead and issued this permit when there was a lot of community objection to it and [the Halifax Regional Municipality] made a formal submission to them," he told CBC News. 

Dartmouth Cove will remain zoned as parkland even if the approved area is infilled, said Austin.

"Private developers aren't going to turn around and build a park, so at some point down the line, maybe they'll hit the city up trying to get development rights for it, but this property in its creation will be starting the game with nothing, no development rights whatsoever," he said.

Bruce Wood, chief financial officer of Atlantic Road Construction and Paving, said they are hoping to begin infilling in September to meet the two-year timeline given by Transport Canada for the work to be completed. He declined to comment further.