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Environmental racism in Nova Scotia

Environmental Racism in Nova Scotia are the environmental injustices in the province that have an unequal effect on racial minorities.

Environmental racism is a term used in the environmental justice movement to describe environmental injustices that disproportionately affect racialized communities.[1] For many decades, environmental activists have drawn attention to various examples of environmental racism in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, especially those injustices faced by Black and Indigenous communities. A frequent example of environmental racism in Nova Scotia is the disproportionate siting of toxic facilities such as landfills, thermal generating stations, and paper mills in marginalized communities.[2] Historically, these at-risk communities have found themselves living in close proximity to environmental hazards as a result of redlining practices implemented during the 1930s–1950s.[3] Redlining originated in the United States through the Home Owners' Loan Corporation, which aimed to improve access to loans.[3] However, by determining loan eligibility based on the "quality of living" in certain areas, the system effectively stratified neighborhoods.[3] As a result, minority communities were often forced to reside in areas with higher environmental risks.[3] A similar pattern occurred in Canada.[4] The earliest forms of redlining in Canada were even more explicit and widespread, partly due to the reluctance to adopt the joint loan system created by the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a federal government agency.[4] Accordingly, a 2002 study found that over 30% of Black residents in Nova Scotia live within a 5 km (3.1 mi) radius of a landfill.[5] Environmental racism in Nova Scotia is a source of multigenerational trauma—there is scientific evidence linking the presence of toxic facilities to water insecurity, higher rates of various illnesses (especially cancers), and other harms to physical and mental health wellbeing.[6]

Notable cases

This is not an exhaustive list of cases of environmental racism in Nova Scotia.

Africville

Africville, a predominantly Black community founded in the 1800s, is the most historic example of environmental racism in Nova Scotia. Even though residents paid taxes, the City of Halifax discriminated against the community by refusing to provide basic amenities including sewage, waste disposal, and clean water. An infectious disease hospital and landfill were built near Africville, increasing residents' exposure to environmental harms. After multiple requests for municipal services, the City relocated and razed the community without thorough consultation. The relocation was poorly coordinated and left many residents without adequate housing or support structures. The City of Halifax apologized for the razing of the community in 2010.[7]

Lincolnville

Residents in the primarily African Canadian town of Lincolnville protested the 2006 opening of a second-generation landfill, part of the Nova Scotian government's budgetary plan to amalgamate landfill sites.[8] The site previously hosted a first-generation landfill for over 30 years, which had also been a source of frustration for the community as it lacked the necessary liners to prevent toxic runoff. Residents cite the indifference of the local government, a lack of employment opportunities, and allegedly high rates of cancer in the town as examples of environmental racism against the Lincolnville community.[9] A local community group opposed to the new landfill was often ignored or denied the opportunity to share their concerns with city councillors after the landfill became operational[10]

Shelburne

In Shelburne, African Nova Scotian residents are concentrated near a landfill that was used for industrial, medical, and residential waste for over 75 years.[11] Although the landfill has been closed for nearly 30 years, toxic waste has gradually leaked into the community's primary water sources over time. Additionally, the site was used as a transfer station for oil barrels and other industrial waste up until 2016.[11] This environmental hazard has resulted in long-lasting damage to the physical and mental health of the Black community in Shelburne.

Stewiacke

The Alton Gas Storage Project at Stewiacke, first proposed in 2007, aimed to use water from the Shubenacadie River to flush salt deposits in order to store natural gas. The placement of the natural gas deposits would violate Indigenous treaty rights as the river is the center of Mi'kmaq territory and culture. Further, the project posed significant environmental risks by restricting access to clean water and culling wildlife populations.[12] The project was cancelled in October 2021 after years of protests led by grassroots Indigenous movements and environmental activists.[13]

Responses

Ingrid Waldron

Canadian sociologist Ingrid Waldron researches the impact of environmental racism on the physical and mental health and social wellbeing of Black and Mi'kmaq communities, including her work through the ENRICH Project and her 2018 book There's Something in the Water[14] and its accompanying film. Waldron also worked with former Nova Scotian MP Lenore Zann to attempt to introduce a National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act combating environmental racism.

Bill C-230

On June 22, 2021, Canada's Parliament passed Bill C-230.[15] The purpose of the bill is to establish a framework for the federal government to address issues related to environmental racism and environmental justice.[15] In the preamble, the bill outlines several recurring themes associated with these issues, including the disproportionate exposure of marginalized communities to environmental hazards and the siting of hazardous facilities in areas primarily inhabited by these communities. The legislation encourages public engagement in the development of policies aimed at reducing environmental racism.[15] It mandates that the Minister of the Environment develop a strategy to prevent, mitigate, and evaluate environmental racism and promote environmental justice. The bill also requires collaboration with local organizations, Indigenous communities, and other relevant governmental representatives.[15] Additionally, any actions undertaken must be consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The bill represents a legislative approach to addressing concerns related to environmental equity in Canada.

Notes

  1. ^ Holifield 2001, pp. 78–90.
  2. ^ Stoughton 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d "A brief history of redlining". Environment & Health Data Portal. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Harris, Richard (2003). "From 'black-balling' to 'marking': the suburban origin of redlining in Canada, 1930s–1950s". Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes. 47 (3): 338–350. doi:10.1111/1541-0064.00026. ISSN 1541-0064.
  5. ^ Hudson 2003.
  6. ^ "Introduction, 1 & 2". Violence on the Land, Violence on Our Bodies (PDF). Native Youth Sexual Health Network and Women's Earth Alliance. 2016. pp. 1–35.
  7. ^ McRae 2017.
  8. ^ Deacon & Baxter 2012, pp. 611–612.
  9. ^ Lindsay 2006.
  10. ^ Deacon & Baxter 2012, p. 613.
  11. ^ a b Delisle & Sweeney 2018, p. 313.
  12. ^ Waldron 2018, pp. 36–53.
  13. ^ "Alton Natural Gas Storage Project". October 22, 2021.
  14. ^ "There's Something in the Water". Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d "Private Member's Bill C-230 (43-2) - Second Reading - National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act - Parliament of Canada". www.parl.ca. Retrieved April 15, 2025.

References

Further reading

  • Dorene, Bernard (2018). "Reconciliation and Environmental Racism in Mi'kma'ki". Kalfou. 5 (2): 297. doi:10.15367/kf.v5i2.214.
  • Gosine, Andil; Teelucksingh, Cheryl (2008). Environmental Justice and Racism in Canada: An Introduction. Toronto: Edmond Montgomery Publications.