Friends of Antigonish Harbour

04/23/2026

Is Crown land on Antigonish Harbour for sale?

In 2025, approximately five acres of Crown land on Antigonish Harbour, along with a related water lease, were surveyed, and boundary lines were cut out on the property.

In April 2026, the Houston government passed an omnibus bill allowing the sale of Crown land without public consultation. It now appears that this parcel may be in the process of being sold, likely for a shellfish processing plant. The land is identified on Property Valuations Services as Lot 25-2, Seabright Road (https://webapi.pvsc.ca/Search/Property?ain=11170382).

Local MLA Michelle Thompson’s office was contacted about this matter prior to Easter but has not responded.

There are also indications on the ground that raise concerns about transparency. The survey lines were cut-out but stopped approximately 20 metres short of the road and public visibility. Normally, survey marker posts are positioned to face the road so they can be easily located, however, in this case, the markers are turned backwards away from the road. In addition, the silver backs of the markers (facing the road) have been deliberately painted black, making them difficult to identify against the foliage.

Taken together, these actions suggest that there may have been efforts to conceal the government’s plans for this land from the community.

Questions:

· Was the bill passed to enable this transaction since the survey was completed well before the legislation was passed?
· Considering the shortage of public land on the harbour are government decisions being made in the public interest, or to benefit a select few?
· If it is for the shellfish processing plant, why does the proponent not purchase private land for this facility like any other business would have to do?
· Will the government be selling the land for market price of several hundred thousand dollars as any other local business person would have to do or will they be granted rights to purchase at the absurdly low assessed value of $2000 currently listed on Property Valuations Services?

11/15/2024

FYI -- an upcoming event at the library, https://www.facebook.com/share/15PQshfLxU/

10/01/2024

A new bill proposed by the Houston Government aims to diminish shellfish aquaculture oversight. It proposes allowing administrators to issue licenses without the approval of the Aquaculture review board. This reduced oversight increases risk of environmental harm, navigational conflicts with commercial and recreational fishers, and increases animosity within coastal communities across Nova Scotia as has happened in Antigonish and Harvre Boucher. We need to improve the review process for the aquaculture industry, NOT eliminate it!

If you are disturbed by the government's efforts to eliminate oversight of an already poorly monitored industry, please contact your local officials. More information can be found here:

Government proposes reduced shellfish aquaculture oversight The Houston Government wants to allow Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries Aquaculture (NSDFA) officials to issue shellfish aquaculture licenses and leases without review by a neutral, arm’s length entity.  The changes will make

09/12/2024

🌲🐾 Join Us for World Rivers Day & Moose Conservation Hike! 🐾🌲

Celebrate World Rivers Day with a special Moose Conservation Hike on Sunday, September 22nd, from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, hosted by Nature Nova Scotia & St. Mary’s River Association!

🌿 What to Expect:

Discover the beautiful wilderness along the St. Mary’s Nature Trail.
Learn how to track moose and identify their signs, like tracks, s**t, and browse, with expert guidance from Jess Lewis.
Gain insights into the importance of moose in the ecosystem.
📍 Meeting Point: SMRA Education & Interpretive Centre
(8404 Hwy 7, Sherbrooke, NS)
We will carpool to the St. Mary’s Nature Trail for the hike.

REGISTER NOW! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFcvYsD3ALBomovsPxxMxKyBkZ-CbncBxD1alKp0VPeJk_0w/viewform

05/03/2024

Dorothy Lander and John Graham-Pole put their voice to Estuary and Plover: “For Estu and Plove, the decision of the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NSDFA) to award a commercial oyster fishery—23000 cages spread over 90 acres—is an existential crisis. Follow along as Estu and Plove lament that this decision has been made without any assessment of the current environment, or any archaeological assessment of the centuries-old burial grounds of the Mi’kmaq.”

The environment’s friend Bob Bancroft and President of Nature Nova Scotia joins the conversation in the 4th podcast (each are only 2-9 minutes long).

PODCAST Estuary and Piping Plover find their voice Estu and Plove explore ideas of truth and reconciliation, biodiversity, personhood, and more to start the ...

03/18/2024

New podcast series about the Antigonish Harbour called "Estuary and Piping Plover Find Their Voice" is now live on the HARP website.
Listen here for the first three episodes:

PODCAST Estuary and Piping Plover find their voice Estu and Plove explore ideas of truth and reconciliation, biodiversity, personhood, and more to start the ...

02/28/2024

Bias in the Aquaculture Review Board Hearings:

We have been asked if FOAH will appeal the Aquaculture Review Board’s (ARB’s) decision granting Town Point Consulting Inc (TPCI) leases near the mouth of Antigonish Harbour.  Many of us feel the ARB has been selected for its pro-aquaculture predisposition and that the ARB’s bias in that r...

01/20/2024

https://tryhealingarts.ca/honourable-harvest/

Why read this blog?

The story underlying the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board (ARB) approval (Jan. 6, 2024) of three massive commercial oyster fishery leases in the shallow estuary of Antigonish Harbour is a scarily lavish gift to every aquaculture decision-maker the world over.
So, click on this link to HARP The People’s Press (www.tryhealingarts.ca) to find out how adhering to the letter of the law (2015 NS Legislation) disrespects:
endangered species
climate mitigation
treaty obligations
ancestral burial grounds
truth and reconciliation
heritage preservation
public health
The ARB based their ruling that awarded these three leases solely on the eight factors mandated by the 2015 legislation on aquaculture applications.
From this blog you will learn:
The stories not told
The witnesses not called
The lived experience not respected
The evidence not considered scientific
The precautionary principle not honoured
Friends of Antigonish Harbour Ecology Action Centre Birds Canada Atlantic Atlantic Books Today This is Marketing Nova Scotia Nature Trust Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage Educators for Social Justice - Nova Scotia

01/09/2024

The Aquaculture Review Board (ARB) issued its final ruling on January 5, 2024. The ARB ruling can be found at: https://arb.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/decisions/nsarb_2022-001-002-003_-application_decision-_final_updated_jan_6-certified_and_signed.pdf.

We are disappointed in the ARB's decision as it endangers the ecosystem of Antigonish Harbour, especially the fish, fish habitat, piping plover habitat, and eelgrass in lease areas of the outer harbour equal to 230 hockey rinks.

Please visit our website to get further information https://friendsofantigonishharbour.com/updates

THANK YOU to the hundreds of concerned citizens and community members who have participated in this process. We will treasure all the friendships that were made and strengthened as we worked together to protect Antigonish Harbour.