by Crystal Dorey Communications Director Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn

On June 1, the Nova Scotia Provincial Emergency Management Office announced they would be closing the gates at the Avon causeway in Windsor, to re-establish a reservoir (Lake Pisiquid) for possible wildfire suppression. This quickly shifted into concern over dry hydrants located above the Avon causeway. While the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs (Assembly) can appreciate the concern regarding a need to ensure resources to fight wildfires, they also raised concerns that alternative solutions were not utilized that could have had much less impact on fish and the ecosystem. The forecast at the time called for significant rainfall for the coming days and over 260mm of rain has fallen in the area since June 2, 2023.

“We understand immediate decisions had to be made in response to the wildfires, but we were concerned that this decision would erase all the work that had been done in this waterway. We are now over a week out from this emergency decision, and we can see already how the environment is being severely impacted,” said Chief Gerald Toney, Fisheries Co-Lead for the Assembly.

The recent change in operation of the gates at the Avon causeway blocks fish passage and does not provide consistent and/or adequate flows downstream during low tide, impacting fish habitat and the ability for fish to complete their lifecycles. In 2021, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) issued a Ministerial Order to regulate gate operations to improve fish habitat ...

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