Healthy Coasts NB and the Chaleur Region: A Project for Nature and for Communities
Guest article written by Emmanuella Ilunga Sudila, student at CCNB Bathurst. Translated by Maggie Gould
In New Brunswick (N.B.), coastal communities don’t just admire the sea: they work together to protect their ecosystem. The Healthy Coasts NB Project, a multi-year, multi-partner project with a collective vision of: ‘a path toward healthy coasts and prosperous communities in harmony with nature,’ assembles citizens, researchers, First Nations, and organizations around a common objective: to preserve fragile ecosystems while strengthening the bond between people and their land.
In practical terms, this translates into a variety of activities such as beach cleanups that respect biodiversity, educational workshops, and participatory surveys on species and habitats to better understand their places and knowledge that matter. This project draws on collective intelligence and local knowledge to build more resilient communities, conscious of the rich nature and culture that surrounds them. A wonderful way to experience the coastline differently, with care, pride, and commitment.
Although the Healthy Coasts NB Project is being implemented in several priority regions in New Brunswick, this article serves to demonstrate the evolution and growth of the project in the Baie des Chaleurs region since its implementation in 2019.
REGION OVERVIEW
The Baie des Chaleurs region is a traditional, unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, represented by the Pabineau Mi’kmaq First Nations and the Eel River Bar First Nations. This community, as well as equally all other communities in the region, strongly depends on the coastal ecosystems for multiple uses, such as clam harvesting, medicinal plant cultivation, or recreational activities. Therefore a healthy coastline is necessary to sustain the traditional and modern lifestyles of the people living in this region.
The industrial history of the Baie des Chaleurs is marked by heavy industry, including an ore/metal smelter that operated from 1966 to 2019. In Belledune, even today, several zones are dedicated to industry, with numerous industrial parks and associated infrastructures, raising concerns about habitat loss in sensitive coastal areas and pollution.
It’s for this reason that a Healthy Coasts NB team has been established in the Baie des Chaleurs region, to conserve the coastal habitats and important natural areas for the benefit of species and communities.
CONSERVATION PLAN
After its launch in 2019, the Healthy Coasts NB developed a conservation plan aimed at creating a living document to communicate the main developments and conservation strategies pursued by the project and to facilitate an action plan. In order to implement the conservation plan, it was essential to gather the views of all stakeholders. As a result, the local population, the Indigenous communities, the conservation sector, and the municipalities were all consulted so that the plan focuses on the conservation priorities and to respond to the real issues facing the community.
PARTNERSHIP
In addition to the participation and willingness of communities to take care of their environment, the Healthy Coasts NB operates also thanks to its many partnerships.
The project started with the collaboration alongside numerous provincial organizations, and as it evolved, others were inspired to join. Today, individuals, representatives of entities from various fields of activity, and numerous volunteers who share a common value — “the protection of the environment” — make up the project. Each party contributes expertise and dedication to help achieve the objectives.
ORGANIZED ACTIVITES
Healthy Coasts NB regularly organizes activities to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our environment. Through these activities, Healthy Coasts NB looks to bring citizens closer to nature and reinforce their role in its protection. These activities are not limited to the sharing and educating of theoretical knowledge: they also offer practical experiences that allow participants to discover, through action and observation, principles of conservation. By creating these opportunities for active learning, the project promotes lasting awareness and encourages everyone to become agents of environmental change.
- Healthy Coasts Tour 2022
- Event dedicated to coastal exploration and responsible coastal management. This event benefited from the collaboration with local festivals to celebrate and raise public awareness of the importance of our coasts, dunes, marshes, and wildlife.
- Youghall Living Shoreline 2023
- The Youghall Beach, as well as its recreational coast, possesses significant ecological value due to a bird species associated with the site: Bank Swallows, or Sand Martins.
- Bank Swallows are endangered migratory birds. Their population in Canada has declined by 98% in the last 40 years. In the breeding season, they dig their nests in the sand cliffs to lay their eggs. The dunes on Youghall Beach in New Brunswick are perfectly suited with the needs of Bank Swallows. Over the last couple of years, though, sand cliffs have been eroded by coastal erosion, rendering conservation efforts difficult.
- In 2023, Healthy Coasts NB organized an ecological restoration activity for this habitat at Youghall Beach, with the partnership of volunteers.
- Healthy Coasts Tour 2025
Healthy Coasts Tour 2025 featured several activities:- Cleaning up Roherty Point Beach: the goal was to clean up the beach and to raise awareness of the importance of keeping our beaches clean. Volunteers took part in this activity.
- Shorebird observation: the birds are ecological bioindicators. Their presence, absence, abundance, or dynamics provide information about the health of the ecosystem they occupy. This activity aimed to observe the birds, collect data on the species and assess the overall health of the ecosystem.
- Collection of native seeds: with the participation of Constance Sewell, local expert and Mi’kmaq Elder from Pabineau First Nations. This activity, promoting the exchange of cultures and knowledge, consisted of teaching the participants traditional knowledge related to coastal plants, while enjoying a walk in nature.
- Bingo for kids: the objective was to elicit interest and curiosity in young minds of the importance of coastal areas and how we take care of them.
PERSPECTIVES
Over the last few years, the Healthy Coasts NB has been able to create a positive dynamic in the Baie des Chaleurs region, thanks to the mobilization of partners, experts, and citizens around the conservation of coastal ecosystems. This collective energy allows the launching of activities to raise awareness and to strengthen ties with the community.
Moving forward, Healthy Coasts NB plans to:
- Evaluate interest in a nature club in Belle-Baie,
- Develop a coastal guardians program, composed of volunteers and/or summer students tasked with protecting the beaches and raise awareness of good behaviours (picking up trash, ban of motor vehicles on beaches, reporting problems),
- Continuing to organize community events to celebrate nature,
- To involve municipalities more closely in living shorelines projects,
- And to reinforce the connection between communities and nature.
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
You too can be part of the solution by joining us at our events organized in the region or closest to you.
To participate, contact Nature NB: info@naturenb.ca and follow us on our social media.
