By Katie Tower, Staff Reporter, Sackville Tribune-Post
Local residents concerned about coastal flooding and how it will continue to have an impact on the region are invited to an upcoming workshop to discuss how to plan for future storm events.
The workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Port Elgin fire hall, is being hosted by the Tantramar Planning District Commission (TPDC) and is an initiative of the Picture Port Elgin sustainability plan.
Tracey Wade, a planner with TPDC, said the meeting will offer the chance for community members to work through a seven-stage assessment of the village of Port Elgin. There will also be maps and resources available for outlying areas as well that might be affected by storm surges. Discussions, she said, will be relevant for anyone along the coastline.
“We want to make sure we safeguard against the coastal flooding . . so we’re going to look at where the vulnerable areas are and what resources we might be able to tap into to protect those areas.”
This workshop is the third in a series of meetings hosted by the planning commission that began last year following a significant storm surge in Port Elgin and Baie Verte, and surrounding coastal communities, that resulted in massive flooding and damages to homes and businesses.
The first session last April featured Gary Lines, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, as the guest speaker; while the second in July included representatives from the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the New Brunswick Department of Environment.
Next week’s workshop will focus on the actions that could be taken in order to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities that come with coastal flooding.
“We’ll look at what we can all do to help, to see if there are things we can plan for,” said Wade.
“It will be a hands-on workshop where participants will take a look at Port Elgin and see where we need to go.”
Pizza will be available during the workshop for $1 a slice with donations going to PEDVAC.
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