Ottawa lands Chignecto Isthmus deal with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick [Video]

The federal government will join New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in spending a total of $650 million on protecting the Chignecto Isthmus, the narrow strip of flood-prone land that links the two Maritime provinces.

Ottawa announced Thursday it will contribute $325 million to the project, while the two provinces committed to spending $162.5 million each.

A key transportation corridor, the isthmus includes a section of the Trans-Canada Highway and a Canadian National railway line. An estimated $100 million of goods and services cross the corridor every day. As well, the isthmus provides a link for electrical transmission lines and fibre optic cables.

Climate researchers have warned that one severe storm in the Bay of Fundy could overwhelm the area’s dikes, flooding communities and halting the transportation of goods.

“This is a major step towards ensuring the security of this important link,” the federal government said in a statement.

The agreement …