Over the past 8 years, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with
Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities and their allies to create
awareness about and address cases of environmental racism in Nova Scotia
through research; publications; student training; legislation; legal
remedies; community organizing, development and capacity building;
education; public engagement events; and multi-media.

These efforts have brought us closer to our goal of achieving environmental justice in Nova Scotia.

This
year alone we have witnessed several victories – the closing down of
the mill that had been contaminating Boat Harbour in Pictou Landing
First Nation since 1967; the decision by the Shelburne Town Council to
approve a new community well in the south end of Shelburne (a
(predominantly African Nova Scotian community) paid for by Ellen Page,
as well as the funding by Housing Nova Scotia of new wells in residents’
homes in that community; and the decision made by Justice Frank
Edwards (released to the public yesterday) to overturn the Alton Gas
approval, and ruling in favour of Sipekne’katik by reversing Margaret
Miller’s (former Environment Minister) 2019 decision to uphold her
industrial approval.