Police say a 45-year-old man, a 41-year-old man, a 27-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman were charged with obstruction. The woman was additionally charged with assaulting a police officer. The arrests were made around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday as work to clear the area began. A handful of protesters sat on the ground in front of heavy machinery on Mount Hope Avenue off the 111 Freeway. “This morning we had several of our protesters on site, on public land to protest peacefully, and we were met with heavy unloading equipment and probably dozens of police officers,” said Tara Lapointe with Defend Eisner Cove Wetland.
The housing project will have an “important” affordable component: a developer
Lapointe said the developers had not been on the site since they first tried to bring their machines to the land a few weeks ago and clashed with protesters. He said the area is an ecologically important wetland and there are better places to build residential projects in HRM. “What our group is asking for is a stop and trade. We need to put our heads together and find more suitable land to develop for truly affordable housing,” said Lapointe. Tara Lapointe is with Defend Eisner Cove Wetland. He said there are better places than the wetland to develop housing in HRM. (Brian MacKay/CBC) Clayton Developments Ltd. plans to build an 875-unit housing project called Mount Hope Village on the property, according to the company’s website. The project is described as “the first community in the Halifax Regional Municipality with a significant affordable housing component integrated into a large-scale development in the last forty years.” The description indicates that about 40 percent of the units will be affordable. Clayton has received all necessary approvals to begin construction. Provincial officials said there is no evidence of species at risk in the area and an environmental assessment is not required because the property is so small.
Wetland is a vital carbon sink: protesters
But protesters said the wetland is a carbon sink that is vital to fighting climate change. Deedee Slye with the Council of Canada’s HRM department said the organization has just sent Eisner Cove conservation groups a letter of support. “Right now, in this day and age, with what we know about the climate and what we know about the importance of forests and wetlands, I can’t even believe that the city and the county sold the land and allowed it to happen. it developed that way,” Slye said. “This wetland sequesters huge amounts of carbon, helps protect biodiversity, helps mitigate water and flooding, a beautiful place to go and walk for mental health,” said Lil MacPherson, another protester. Lil MacPherson, left, and Elliot Page were at Eisner Cove Tuesday protesting wetland development. (Brian MacKay/CBC) Actor and producer Elliot Page also came to show his support for the protesters. He said it feels “close to the heart” to see the trees come down. “It feels horrible, you just feel it in your gut. And I just admire all those who have been out here on the front lines protecting the forest and protecting the wetlands,” Page said. In a written statement, Clayton Developments president Jason Brunt said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the protesters’ actions and that they were putting people’s safety at risk by trying to stop the work. “It is concerning to us that a small group of people who oppose development in the area continue to try to interfere with the work we need to do to create much-needed housing,” Brunt said.
Police arrest a woman at the Eisner Cove protest
Four people face charges after a protest to stop work on a housing project at Eisner Cove Wetland in Dartmouth.
Police make arrests at Eisner Cove protest
Four people face charges after a protest to stop work on a housing project at Eisner Cove Wetland in Dartmouth.
