New BrunswickA senior New Brunswick government official says the Nova Scotia government tried to force the Holt government to pay a larger share of a $650 million upgrade to infrastructure on the narrow strip of land connecting the two provinces.N.B. official tells committee N.S. still has ‘residual’ feeling bill shouldn’t be split evenly Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Oct 03, 2025 3:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 3’Nova Scotia was hoping to have New Brunswick pay more than their fair share,’ Kelly Cain, the deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure, told the members of the legislature’s public accounts committee on Friday. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)A senior New Brunswick government official says the Nova Scotia government tried to force the Holt government to pay a larger share of a $650-million upgrade to infrastructure on the narrow strip of land connecting the two provinces.Kelly Cain, the deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure, told MLAs Friday morning that there is still a “residual” feeling in Nova Scotia that New Brunswick should be paying more toward the Chignecto Isthmus project.”We see things one way. Maybe Nova Scotia sees them another, but it’s delicate. But these things are,” Cain told the members of the legislature’s public accounts committee.”Nova Scotia was hoping to have New Brunswick pay more than their fair share. Our premier [Susan Holt] was able to negotiate with the premier of Nova Scotia to make sure that it’s a 50-50 split between the two provinces. She held her ground and got there.” A spokesperson for Holt said in an email that those conversations “have occurred throughout the summer,” meaning after an agreement signed between the two provinces and Ottawa in March.In that deal, the federal government committed to pay for 50 per cent of the project, with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia “responsible for the remaining $325 million,” a press release said at the time.WATCH | ‘It’s delicate’: Public servant says N.B., N.S. were at odds over isthmus funding:Nova Scotia wanted New Brunswick to foot more of Chignecto Isthmus bill, official saysNew Brunswick’s deputy minister of transportation and infrastructure told lawmakers Friday that Nova Scotia did not want to take on 25 per cent of the price tag for the work to protect the vulnerable link between the two provinces. In Halifax, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston appeared to confirm Cain’s account, telling reporters there are “many perspectives” on how to divide up the costs, adding: “I would always ask for a lot for Nova Scotia.”Cain told MLAs that “there’s still some residual thought that Nova Scotia doesn’t feel the need to pay their full [share]. … We’re working our way through that, and you can imagine it’s delicate.” The border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia crosses the Chignecto Isthmus, allowing for the passage of $100 million worth of goods and services daily. The low-lying land is vulnerable to severe flooding. (CBC)Ottawa and the two provinces jockeyed for years over the cost of the project, which aims to protect the only path for national railway, highway, and power and communication links between Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada.A 2022 report described the risk of extreme weather and sea-level rise flooding the low-lying area, but the three governments failed for three years to reach a funding agreement to reinforce centuries-old dikes.The federal government estimates $100 million of goods and services pass through the isthmus corridor daily.Houston said in Halifax that while Nova Scotia would risk being cut off from the rest of Canada without the project, more of the shoreline in question is on the New Brunswick side.Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston appeared to confirm Cain’s account, telling reporters there are ‘many perspectives’ on how to divide up the costs. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)Last week, Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said he didn’t know where the project was in its estimated 10-year timeline.On Friday, Cain told MLAs in Fredericton that the decade-long timeline began this year with the signing of the agreement, with construction starting in 2029 and finishing in 2035. Regulatory and consultation work is underway now, she said.Tantramar Green MLA Megan Mitton, whose riding includes the area, said she was disappointed that the clock had not starting ticking with the 2022 report.”The bickering between the two levels of government seems to have caused a delay, which was something I was urging them not do, and they did it,” she told reporters.’The bickering between the two levels of government seems to have caused a delay, which was something I was urging them not do, and they did it,’ said Tantramar Green MLA Megan Mitton. (Silas Brown/CBC)Before the March agreement, the two provinces argued that interprovincial links are a federal responsibility and that Ottawa should take on the entire cost.They reluctantly agreed in 2023 to apply for the 50 per cent federal funding under Ottawa’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund — while continuing to argue the federal government should pay the full amount. My community could be underwater this year, next year, anytime before 2035.— Tantramar MLA Megan MittonCain told Mitton during Friday’s committee appearance that the risk of “a very extensive weather event” is alarming, but the greater risk is “several years down the road. It’s not immediate.”Mitton responded that the risk will be worst in the future but a catastrophic storm could still hit the area at any time.”It could happen this year. It could happen next year. So I guess I have to express my extreme concern that things have moved this slowly, because my community could be underwater this year, next year, anytime before 2035.”ABOUT THE AUTHORJacques Poitras has been CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New Brunswick politics and history. With files from Michael Gorman
Nova Scotia pushed New Brunswick to pay more of Chignecto upgrade cost, official says
