Clearcutting and climate change threaten home on New Brunswick riverbed

Race against time: N.B. property quickly eroding A family who lives along the banks of the Keswick River in N.B., is trying to save their home as their property continues to erode.

In a perfect storm of climate change and clearcutting, the riverbed along Bruce Hughes’ backyard has eaten more than 40 feet into his property.

"There was a garage there, a back yard, 80 foot trees all down this way,” said Hughes, gesturing toward what is now only river.

For four years Hughes has watched his property slip away, into the Keswick River.

"We've been losing 15 feet probably average a year for the last four years, 10-15 feet, we now have the data to prove that. We have a permitted plan to fix this, it's a funding issue basically, and the province doesn't seem to think they have any responsibility at all,” the home owner added.

On Friday, New Brunswick's Green Party Leader David Coon surveyed the damage.

"With government's support a project could be done to fortify the bank here and protect Bruce and Monica's house that would seem to be the short term urgent priority otherwise it's going to end up in the drink,” Coon said.

Hughes has lived in the Upper Keswick, N.B. home for 30 years.

"It was our little paradise, and it was that way for 26 years and all of a sudden something changed drastically,” Hughes said.

“That's what we've been trying to get to the bottom of and we all know what the answer is but nobody seems to want to take responsibility.”

Clearcutting and forestry paired with climate change have aggravated the riverbed erosion.

"Obviously it's a perfect example of the problem and how we are not climate ready, for increasing kinds of consequences we are seeing from the climate crisis right here in New Brunswick,” Coon said.

Both the provincial and federal government have been contacted but in four years a solution has not been reached.

"If we have a bad spring this year, like a big rain, it could be over,” Hughes said.

Hughes believes if it takes down the house the highway in front will be next. He wonders when government will step in.

“They need to do something or they're going to be fishing this house out of the river."

Hughes and his wife, are running out of options to save their 149 year old house.

"Buying even a shack now is like a quarter million dollars, I can't build, I don't have another property to go to, this is all I have and that's why I'm fighting so hard to save it."