Boat Harbour

About the Project

Build Nova Scotia has been entrusted, by the Nova Scotia Minister of Public Works, with project management responsibilities for the planning and implementation of remedial activities at Boat Harbour.

Before 1967, Boat Harbour was a natural tidal estuary. It was a saltwater habitat spread over about 142 hectares (350 acres). The estuary was connected to the Northumberland Strait by a narrow passage just east of the Pictou Landing First Nation community.

Visit the Boat Harbour Remediation Project website.

A freshwater lake

Between 1967 and early 2020, Boat Harbour had been receiving wastewater effluent from industry. In 1972, a dam was built cutting Boat Harbour off from the ocean. This turned the saltwater estuary into a freshwater lake. From that time to January 2020, Boat Harbour had been receiving wastewater from the pulp mill at Abercrombie Point. In the early years, Canso Chemicals also used Boat Harbour to treat their wastewater.

The use of Boat Harbour by industry has led to a number of contaminants settling in the sediment of the harbour.

The contaminants

More than 200 studies have been done to find out what, exactly is in Boat Harbour. These studies have found that the sediments in Boat Harbour have some contaminants including:

• cadmium
• dioxins
• furans
• mercury
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• petroleum hydrocarbons
• zinc

The Boat Harbour Act

The Government of Nova Scotia owns the Boat Harbour Effluent Treatment Facility and operated the Facility until December 1995.  In January 1996, the Facility was leased to the owners of the pulp mill at Abercrombie Point, who had operated it until June 2021. In 2015, the Government of Nova Scotia passed The Boat Harbour Act. This law ordered that Boat Harbour cease to be used for the reception and treatment of effluent by January 31, 2020. Effluent stopped flowing into Boat Harbour in accordance with this law.

A plan for a cleanup

The Boat Harbour Remediation Project team with Build Nova Scotia has worked with local residents, federal and provincial regulators, technical advisors and scientists to develop a clean-up plan for Boat Harbour. The goal of the cleanup is to return Boat Harbour to its original state as a tidal estuary. Before a return to tidal, the contaminants must be cleaned up. The cleanup cannot begin until the environmental assessment process, which is ongoing, is complete. That means the earliest the cleanup can begin is 2024. We estimate that it will take four to seven years to complete the cleanup. We will have a better estimate of this schedule when the environmental assessment is complete and procurement of consultant and contractor services are concluded.

A large and complex project

The cleanup of Boat Harbour is a large and complex task with many aspects to take into consideration.

The Boat Harbour Remediation Project Team has been working hard to develop a plan that addresses the following issues:

• effectively removing contaminated sediment from the bottom of Boat Harbour
• containing the contaminated materials in the most efficient and effective way
• assessing and planning for what remediation, if any, is needed in the nearby wetlands
• monitoring air quality and environmental impact throughout the project
• dealing with the pipeline running from the mill to Boat Harbour
• removing the dam and building a new bridge at Highway 348 at the end of the project

A summary of the full project description is available here

An expensive undertaking

The cleanup of Boat Harbour is expected to cost more than $300 million. As we work through the planning, environmental assessment, and procurement process, we will establish the project costs with more certainty. The federal government has agreed to contribute $100 million toward the project. The Province is committed to covering the rest of the costs.

A team of committed partners

We have enlisted the help of many knowledgeable, experienced and concerned people to move this project forward. Together they form the Boat Harbour Environmental Advisory Committee. This committee includes:

• Members of the Boat Harbour Remediation Project team
• Expert advisors from provincial and federal governments
• Pictou Landing First Nation
• Scientists from Nova Scotia universities
• Consulting Engineering industry

Clean air and water

Before water from Boat Harbour can be allowed to flow freely in and out of the Northumberland Strait, we need to make sure it is clean. Rigorous environmental monitoring programs will ensure Boat Harbour is clean before it is returned to tidal. Many organizations will help develop our plan and monitoring programs and will ensure they are well implemented. These include:

• Nova Scotia Environment
• Build Nova Scotia
• Nova Scotia Public Works
• Nova Scotia Office of L’nu Affairs
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Transport Canada
• Department of Indigenous Services Canada
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Health Canada
• Scientists and advisors from Nova Scotia Universities
• other regulatory groups

Many people and organizations will work together to make sure that Boat Harbour returns to a healthy tidal estuary. The Boat Harbour Remediation Project team is already working with Pictou Landing First Nation to plan the future of Boat Harbour and talk about the positive things that a renewed tidal estuary can bring to the local environment and communities. These could include such things as fishing, swimming, nature trails, or other tourist-related activities. Additional consultation is also planned with the broader community.

A public process

Throughout the planning phase, the project team has regularly consulted with affected groups and communities to make sure they have the information they need. During the environmental assessment, there has been many opportunities for public input.