Right Of Way

Episode 12: The Coastal Conundrum

Less than 6% of Nova Scotia's population owns our coastline. Squeezed between a rapidly changing coastline and the rigidity of an increasingly impermeable wall of private property, Nova Scotia must act now to preserve, maintain, and prioritize coastal access in our province. In this final episode of Right of Way, we talk through the lessons learned in this podcast and hear some listener feedback from the summer. You can learn more about the Coastal Access Project and share your coastal access story with us on our website: www.coastalaccessproject.com.  Special thanks to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their support of this project. Thanks also to the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University for additional support, editing and sound design by Podstarter (https://www.podstarter.io/), and cover art from Laura Bonga.

Episode 11: Right to Roam

What would it take to have a right to roam in Nova Scotia? In this episode, we hear about efforts to get people to the coast through legislation and legwork, and contemplate what a right to roam would look like in Atlantic Canada. Special thanks to our guests in this episode, Dr. Andrew Weaver and Hannah Solway. In this episode, you heard about: Bill M 223 - 2017: Right to Roam [https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/lc/billsprevious/6th40th:m223-1#:~:text=Right%20to%20go%20upon%20land%2C%20river%2C%20stream%20or%20lake&text=(2)%20Any%20resident%20of%20the,such%20rivers%2C%20streams%20or%20lakes.] Surfrider Atlantic [https://www.atlantic.surfrider.ca/] Surfrider Foundation (Worldwide [https://www.surfrider.org/]) You can learn more about the Coastal Access Project and share your coastal access story with us on our website: www.coastalaccessproject.com.  Special thanks to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their support of this project. Thanks also to the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University for additional support, editing and sound design by Podstarter (https://www.podstarter.io/), and cover art from Laura Bonga.

Episode 10: Visited to Death

We've all had the experience of seeing a photo of a beautiful place and thinking, "Wow, I'd like to go there!" But what happens when whole digital cultures develop around visiting natural landscapes in order to get a photo and stake out a piece of it for ourselves? As we lose access to our own coast lines in Nova Scotia, are we recreating the problem of tourism-oriented coastal development in the countries we visit? In this episode, we hear about the benefits and consequences of when treasured coastal spaces are 'liked' to death.  Special thanks to our guests in this episode, Andre Bourgeois and Andre Joseph-Witzig. In this episode you heard from: Jamaica Beach Birthright Environment Movement [https://www.jabbem.org/] Vox "What happens when nature goes viral?" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itjc14Fm-gs&t=68s] AlJazeera "Why Can't Jamaicans Access Their Own Beaches?" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoXJqjiRmEg] Grenada Land Actors [https://grenadaland.org/] Cape Breton Highlands National Park [https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton] You can learn more about the Coastal Access Project and share your coastal access story with us on our website: www.coastalaccessproject.com.  Special thanks to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their support of this project. Thanks also to the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University for additional support, editing and sound design by Podstarter (https://www.podstarter.io/), and cover art from Laura Bonga.

Episode 9: Unnavigable

Nova Scotians experiencing coastal access problems, whether land owners or the general public, have reported over and over that they struggle to get in touch with public servants or decision-makers and that finding meaningful and timely information about their situation is a constant challenge. These frustrating experience leave people feeling unheard and unsure about where to turn for help. But what is the experience like from the public servant point of view? Special thanks to our guest Halifax City Councillor Patricia Cuttell. HRM 2024 district boundaries [https://www.halifax.ca/media/85024] You can learn more about the Coastal Access Project and share your coastal access story with us on our website: www.coastalaccessproject.com.  Special thanks to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their support of this project. Thanks also to the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University for additional support, editing and sound design by Podstarter (https://www.podstarter.io/), and cover art from Laura Bonga.

Episode 8: Eagle Head Bay

In Eagle Head Bay, access to the beach, coastal trails or roads, and the protective qualities of wetlands is being eroded. In this episode, we learn about the intersection between coastal development and coastal access and what happens when fights over coastal access and environments bring communities together, and tear them apart.  Special thanks to our guests Peter Leslie, Cathie Mourre, and Brian Mourre. Nova Scotia Wetland Conservation Policy [https://novascotia.ca/nse/wetland/conservation.policy.asp] Ecology Action Centre's activism on wetland policy changes [https://ecologyactionca.f.civicrm.ca/resources-media/position-statements/environmental-groups-denounce-changes-nova-scotia-wetland] Coastal Protection Act scrapped [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/coastal-protection-act-environment-tim-halman-climate-change-1.7125745] Global News - Eagle Head residents sue former Halifax Mayor [https://globalnews.ca/news/9206995/eagle-head-peter-kelly-lawsuit/] You can learn more about the Coastal Access Project and share your coastal access story with us on our website: www.coastalaccessproject.com.  Special thanks to the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for their support of this project. Thanks also to the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University for additional support, editing and sound design by Podstarter (https://www.podstarter.io/), and cover art from Laura Bonga.