Most of St. Margaret’s Bay is zoned “Mixed Use” and is governed by “as of right” rules.  A land owner can put up pretty much anything anywhere. These rules, our Land-use By-laws and Municipal Planning Strategies, were developed many years ago, long before amalgamation and higher density, when the area was still rural.  On both the Halifax Regional Municipailty side, and on the Lunenburg County side, development on the Bay is "managed" by a complex array of over 14 disconnected regulatory authorities at all three levels of government.  There is no coordinated, integrated plan in place to guide coastal development so that it is sustainable and reflects the collective vision of the people of the Bay.

Position and proposed Solutions:

Engage the people of the Bay in a community visioning process based on the natural world which surrounds us and evolving development patterns.  How can we hold onto those qualities of our life we value most and make sure that we hand them on to succeeding generations in even better condition than we received them.  

Work closely with other organizations like the Nova Scotia Coastal Coalition to guide the evolution of government policy like Nova Scotia's new Coastal Framework, in particular to encourage cooperation between not only the numerous provincial agencies involved in coastal issues, but also the various agencies of the municipal and federal governments.

Establish strong working relationships with government staff and elected representatives at all three levels f government to realize the Bay's community vision and ensure it is reflected in law.

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