Eroding coastline a growing concern for some Glace Bay residents

GLACE BAY - Some residents of Glace Bay feel the Cape Breton Regional Municipality could be doing more to help them in a situation that basically is washing their property away.
Brian Shaw of North Street said the coastline at the end of his street is washing away.
"There is the same problem on Water Street."
Shaw said about eight years ago when the issue of erosion was brought up, the municipality helped. He said the public works department would save materials left over from work such as concrete slabs.
"They would take useable materials and drop them over the bank here.""Obviously it worked because those materials are still there now."
However, he said he has contacted local councillors but says he was told they are refusing to do this anymore.
"This is a cheap fix for a serious problem. They are paying to truck these materials to go dump them, when they could help fix a serious erosion problem here.
"It is clean concrete, we have permits to allow this, yet they truck it out at cost."
He said there is an erosion problem at Dominion Beach as well, however, the councillor there is fighting to save the beach.
"I applaud Darren Bruckschwaiger. He has effortlessly worked at fixing that beach up."
Danny MacDonald of Glace Bay, found walking along the bank by North Street, said he had a friend living in that general area who moved 20 years ago because of concerns over the eroding coastline.
"It is a shame, but nothing can really be done, it is Mother Nature at work.
"Some of these banks are 50-80 ft. high, how are you going to rebuild them? You can't. When they are gone they are gone."
Coun. Lee McNeil said she has checked into the possibility of putting the remnants from construction work over the bank in the North Street area.
"We are not allowed to just toss things into the ocean anymore. I definitely looked into it and I was told because of all the regulations out there now - this being the 21st century - you just can't do things like this anymore."
Every municipality is monitored by all agencies - regulated by both levels of government, she added.
"Maybe at one time you could, but not anymore."
McNeil said erosion is happening everywhere along the coastline. She said the South Street beach is losing a foot every five years.
"I talked to municipal staff and they are baffled just like me. It is just an act of God and a price you pay for living on the coastline I guess."