• Westwood Hills residents welcome work on new emergency exit, but want more routes

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-06 21:06:52.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Infrastructure, Transportation, Emergency]

  Following the devastating 2023 wildfires that forced the evacuation of over 16,000 residents and destroyed more than 150 structures, the Halifax Regional Municipality is set to begin construction in early October on a new emergency-only exit connecting the Westwood Hills subdivision to Highway 103. Commissioned staff reports and municipal plans are also evaluating additional connector roads linking Westwood Hills, Upper Hammonds Plains, and Highland Park North to improve regional emergency egress and transportation connectivity. Local residents and community groups, including the Westwood Hills Residents Association and Pockwock Corridor SAFE, have expressed ongoing reservations regarding the specific placement of the gated emergency exit and the reliance on roads feeding into Hammonds Plains Road without alternative routes toward Highway 101. The municipality is currently gathering public input on the proposed connector roads through an online survey and in-person engagement sessions scheduled for October 7 at the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Centre and October 15 at the Tantallon Public Library.

  Read Original

• Some Cape Breton residents no longer stranded as flooding recovery continues

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-08 16:26:46.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Emergency, Infrastructure, Environment, Education]

  Following a slow-moving storm that dumped over 200 millimetres of rain across Cape Breton island in less than two days, the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works reported that more than 120 roads and 200 culverts were damaged or washed away, leaving 25 roads still closed as of Tuesday afternoon. Provincial officials and local contractors are working to repair major washouts—including on West Bay Road in Richmond County—and replace two damaged bridges. The severe weather triggered local states of emergency and subsequent school and campus closures across Victoria, Richmond, and Inverness counties managed by the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education, the Strait Regional Centre for Education, and the Nova Scotia Community College. The flooding was also linked to the death of a 46-year-old woman from Richmond County whose vehicle was found near a flooded bridge.

  Read Original

• Nova Scotia mourning woman who died in province’s severe flooding: premier

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-06 15:50:15.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Emergency, Climate, Infrastructure, Public Safety]

  Severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall leading up to September 6, 2026, resulted in one fatality in Cleveland, Nova Scotia, and prompted local states of emergency in Inverness, Victoria, and Richmond counties on Cape Breton Island. Environment Canada recorded over 100 millimeters of rainfall across multiple parts of Cape Breton, including 130 millimeters in Ingonish Beach and over 200 millimeters in Richmond County, washing out infrastructure such as roads near Marble Mountain and River Bourgeois. Premier Tim Houston and Nova Scotia Emergency Management advised residents to avoid non-essential travel while provincial crews prepared to deploy equipment to repair damaged roads and infrastructure once floodwaters recede.

  Read Original

• Lunenburg water conservation continues after Dares Lake dam breach

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 20:59:53.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Infrastructure, Emergency, Environment]

  A crack formed in the recently constructed $1 million Dares Lake dam in Lunenburg, N.S., causing a breach that submerged the pump building and interrupted the town's main water supply. Mayor Jamie Myra reported that mandatory water conservation efforts, along with closures of schools like Bluenose Academy and businesses including High Liner Foods, were implemented to prevent the town from running out of water over the Labour Day weekend. As of Friday, two of the three pumps were partially operational, allowing the water utility to slowly recover capacity while provincial officials collaborate with the town to investigate the cause of the failure.

  Read Original

• ‘211 years of community’: Funding aims to protect Upper Hammonds Plains from wildfires

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 19:36:52.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Environment, Climate, Emergency, Infrastructure]

  The Government of Nova Scotia is committing $199,000 from its Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust. The funding supports wildfire risk assessment and mitigation initiatives, including FireSmart Canada home assessments, community clean-ups, and remediation for 85 historic homes, a church, and other community buildings. The initiative addresses heightened wildfire safety concerns following the 2023 Tantallon wildfire and local emergency egress vulnerabilities identified in a Halifax Regional Municipality staff report.

  Read Original