N.S. spends $600K on study to protect Port of Digby from climate change

The Port of Digby is seen in a photo from the province. (Source: Nova Scotia Provincial Government)

The Nova Scotia government is spending $600,000 in hopes to safeguard the Port of Digby from climate change.

In the announcement on Friday, Service Nova Scotia Minister Jill Balser said it’s important work is done to protect coastlines.

“The Port of Digby is a critical part of the local and provincial economy and, like many coastal assets, it must take action to be resilient to climate change,” said Balser. “This funding is an investment in the future prosperity and resilience of Digby-Annapolis’s coastal economy.”

The province says the money will be used to plan upgrades needed to protect the harbour from climate change, including a study on how erosion, the rising sea level and stronger storms in the region are affecting the shoreline. The findings of the study will then be used to determine what’s needed to protect the port and calculate the costs.

Planning will also include studies on how nature-based solutions such as grasses, shrubs, and trees can be used to protect the harbour. The province says these solutions are the most effective way to protect the coastline from waves, flooding, and erosion.

“Nova Scotia’s coastal communities face growing climate challenges, and the Digby Harbour Port Association is leading the way in responding to them. Funded through the adaptation stream, this project demonstrates that it is possible to strengthen coastal infrastructure while integrating nature-based solutions that minimize ecological impacts,” said Juanita Spencer, CEO of Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.

“We look forward to sharing more funding announcements that help coastal communities become more resilient and better prepared for the future.”

The funding comes as part of the government’s Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, which aims to respond to climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and change how Nova Scotians produce and use energy. The fund was created in 2021 as part of the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act.

The province says coastal protection projects were given priority in the most recent round of the fund, which opened in February 2025 and closed in April that year.

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