Nova Scotia minister won’t commit to buying out homes ravaged by July flooding

CITYnews halifax \ By The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia’s housing minister says any request for the province to buy homes damaged in a Halifax suburb in flooding last July would have to come from the municipality.

John Lohr says while he’s not prepared to say yes or no to the idea, he would consider a request if it’s thought necessary by municipal officials, who are responsible for zoning and infrastructure in the area.

Lohr says that’s what happened in 2016 when the former Liberal government decided to purchase 18 homes after a major flood in Sydney, N.S.

In the meantime, he says the provincial government is generally committed to keeping people in their homes, adding that “we need every house” as the province deals with a housing crisis.

Some residents on Union Street in Bedford, N.S., have said they hope the province will buy and demolish homes that were heavily damaged when the Sackville River spilled its banks during a torrential downpour on July 21.

The storm dumped up to 250 millimetres of rain in several parts of the province and created raging floodwaters that claimed the lives of four people, including two children, in nearby Hants County.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 7, 2023.