Advertisement

Ottawa looking into climate change impact for East Coast ferry ports, airport, bridge

Click to play video: 'Ottawa looking into climate change impact for East Coast ferry ports, airport, bridge'
Ottawa looking into climate change impact for East Coast ferry ports, airport, bridge
WATCH: The impacts of climate change on major infrastructure in the Maritimes is the focus of a new tender out this month by the federal government. The move is being met with praise among some, but there's also a push for the government to do more. Steve Silva explains – Aug 27, 2018

Ottawa has posted a tender asking engineering firms to assess how climate change and extreme weather will affect some of Atlantic Canada’s major ferry terminals, airports and the Confederation Bridge.

The tender posted last week seeks analysis on the vulnerability of the infrastructure to rising sea levels, harsher storms and changing waves.

READ: Earth at risk of entering irreversible ‘hothouse’ state

It says the federal government wants to know how the sites may be at risk of “failure, damage and loss of service,” due to the climate events that could hit the region.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The report will look at six ferry terminals, including Nova Scotia facilities at Digby and Caribou; the Saint John, N.B., terminal, and the Prince Edward Island terminals in Wood Islands and Souris, along with the Cap-Aux-Meules terminal on the Magdalene Islands.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH: Climate change greatest ‘challenge facing humanity’: NB premier

Click to play video: 'Climate change greatest ‘challenge facing humanity’: NB premier'
Climate change greatest ‘challenge facing humanity’: NB premier

It will also examine the impact of climate change on the airports at Wabush and St. Anthony’s in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The federal advisory panel on climate change adaptation recently noted that average temperatures in Canada have increased by 1.5 C between 1950 and 2010, with higher rises in the north.

Average precipitation has also been rising, and both heavy precipitation and extreme precipitation events are projected to become more frequent.

Sponsored content

AdChoices