The province wants to remove four concrete-filled railcars left near the mouth of the Walton River after a string of failed tidal energy projects in the Bay of Fundy, and is now looking for qualified contractors to take on the job.
According to the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), the 42’ x 9’ x 15’ railcars now pose a navigational hazard and are an eyesore to locals. Their team is overseeing the safe, environmentally responsible removal of the obstructions along with any remaining debris.
In a letter to Acadia News, FORCE Executive Director Lindsay Bennett says Occurrent Power, formerly Big Moon Power, was the latest company attempting to harness the Bay of Fundy’s tides. They planned to use the railcars as gravity bases to anchor a paddlewheel-style tidal device to the seabed.
Bennett says the railcars were originally intended for deployment at the FORCE test site in Minas Passage, where tidal technology is demonstrated and monitored. Occurrent abandoned its project after encountering debris from an earlier failed tidal venture by a previous operator.
Transport Canada ordered Occurrent to remove materials from the bay, but the company filed for insolvency in 2024, leaving railcars and hazardous debris behind. The project, announced in June 2023 to explore Bay of Fundy tidal energy, collapsed after the company faced about 1,300 tonnes of turbine debris from a previous bankruptcy.
The province is now seeking qualified contractors with marine salvage or heavy civil experience to submit proposals by April 17 at 5 p.m. ADT. The selected contractor will remove the roughly 300-tonne railcars and clear all remaining debris.
Future development of the Bay of Fundy
Bennett says tidal stream energy “remains an active and growing renewable sector—both in Canada and globally.”
In November, Nova Scotia approved two new tidal energy projects at the FORCE site, giving contracts to Eauclaire Tidal and Orbital Marine Power. Together, they can generate up to 16.5 megawatts using as many as six floating turbines.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada approved both projects under the Fisheries Act. They’re the first to follow Canada’s new “staged approach,” a step-by-step system developed with Natural Resources Canada to protect the environment while giving investors more certainty.
The approach allows projects to begin with one device and expand in phases based on monitoring under the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act.
Each developer may install up to three turbines in Minas Passage, and Bennett says Seach 2.4-megawatt unit can power about 2,000 homes.
Nova Scotia’s Build Nova Scotia agency is funding improvements to a pond in West Pubnico, specifically along Pond Road, to address persistent odour issues.
Argyle MLA Colton LeBlanc has highlighted that residents have endured the strong smell from blue-green algae growth for too long. The pond’s poor water circulation and stagnant levels have fueled the algae blooms responsible for the odours.
The province will install a berm to control water levels and an aeration system to enhance circulation and limit algae proliferation. These measures aim to reduce off-gassing smells by promoting healthier water conditions.
Construction starts when weather permits this spring, targeting full operation by early May 2026. Officials say local residents should notice air quality improvements soon after.
Thunder Bay will be one of six cities in Ontario along the shores of the Great Lakes hosting a cleaning event for World Rivers Day.
The St. Lawrence Cities Initiative organized the event, and Eco Superior joined as a partner for Thunder Bay’s cleanup.
Kingston, Cobourg, Owen Sound, Collingwood, and Chatham-Kent are also participating in cleaning up their respective lakeshores.
Thunder Bay’s event will begin at 11 a.m. at Lorne Allard Fisherman’s Park.
Danielle Thom is Thunder Bay’s Climate Action Specialist. She says Fisherman’s Park was selected to highlight the restoration work in the area in the last few decades.
“Lorne Allard Fisherman’s Park, and Fisherman’s Park West were highly contaminated sites,” Thom explains. “Since the 1990s, they’ve cleaned the soil in the area, replanted and reestablished something on, honestly, a bit of a desolate wasteland on the mouth of the Current River there. So it’s just a really cool backdrop for us to continue to clean and take care of the area.”
In addition to speeches by Mayor Ken Boshcoff and Minister Patty Hajdu, the cleanup will be preceded by a drum performance by the Sisters of Turtle Island Drum group.
Elder Sheila DeCorte, who leads the drum group, will be teaching attendees about water walking at the event. She is also a member of the city’s Indigenous Advisory Council and leads a group called For the Love of the Rivers that conducts water walks in Thunder Bay.
Thom wanted Elder DeCorte to be present for the event: “Environmental reconciliation should be at the forefront. We can’t reconcile with the people without also reconciling with the land,” Thom remarked when asked about DeCorte. “It’s just a really natural fit in this case.”
In addition to shoreline cleanup, the event will also feature an eco-diving demonstration, waste sorting, and the planting of native Thunder Bay plant species.
There will be limited parking at the event, so the organizers recommend using the shuttle if possible. It will depart from the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium at 10:45 a.m. to transport participants to the location.
Thom also suggests participants cycle to the event if they can, as there will be a bicycle valet on site.
