Overview

• Nova Scotia filed a reference in July 2023 asking the province’s Court of Appeal to rule if Parliament holds exclusive authority over the 13-kilometre land bridge’s dykes and flood protections.
• On June 13, the court rejected the question as too politically charged and imprecise for judicial determination.
• Premier Tim Houston criticized the ruling for sidestepping a key constitutional issue and expressed deep disappointment in the court’s refusal to rule.
• The attorneys general of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island supported Nova Scotia’s position while Ottawa had argued the case was an abuse of the court’s time.
• With the $650 million climate-resilience project on hold, Nova Scotia is now weighing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.