A Disappearing Backyard

Renald Guignard watches his backyard disappear into the Gulf of St. Lawrence year after year. The 83 year old Lamèque resident lives in a house his family has owned for seven generations. Today, climate change threatens to swallow it whole.

When Guignard was a child, his home sat 150 metres from the shoreline. By 1968, that distance shrank to 91 metres. Now, less than seven metres separate his back door from a steep drop into the ocean.

The Missing Winter Ice

The Gulf of St. Lawrence used to freeze solid from November to May. This thick ice absorbed the crushing force of winter waves. Today, the ice is gone.

Marion Tétégan Simon directs research at the Valores Research Institute in Shippagan. She confirms human caused climate change drives this ice loss. Without the ice barrier, high tides and massive waves strip the sand away from the coast. One violent storm in 2000 washed away seven metres of Guignard’s property in a single day.

Bureaucratic Roadblocks

You would expect government support for a homeowner in this situation. Instead, Guignard faces a wall of bureaucracy. Insurance companies refuse to cover the property. Yet, Service New Brunswick increased the home’s assessed value by $10,000 this year. Guignard pays rising property taxes on land that now sits underwater.

He wants the provincial government to help cover the cost of moving his house closer to the road. He almost secured funding in 2018 and again in 2024. Both times, provincial elections triggered a change in government and erased his progress.

The Department of Public Safety states ongoing erosion does not qualify for disaster financial assistance. The program only triggers when a sudden storm creates a new threat to life or a primary residence. According to the province, no recent storm meets this financial damage criteria.

A Warning for Coastal Communities

Time is running out for the Guignard family home. The Valores Research Institute projects the cliff beneath the house will collapse completely by 2050. The home will reach critical risk status by 2030.

Local leaders recognize the growing threat. Benjamin Kocyla directs planning for the Acadian Peninsula regional service commission. He urges municipalities to restrict new coastal development. Communities must adapt to the reality of rising sea levels and severe erosion.

Until the province changes its funding rules, Guignard waits and watches the water creep closer. As reported by CBC News, he knows the threat is real and happening right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Lamèque coastline eroding so quickly?

The Gulf of St. Lawrence no longer freezes over during the winter. Without this protective ice barrier, winter storms and high tides wash away the sandy shoreline.

Will the New Brunswick government pay to move homes threatened by erosion?

Currently, the Department of Public Safety does not offer disaster financial assistance for ongoing erosion. Funding only applies if a sudden major event creates an immediate threat to life or a primary residence.

Can homeowners get insurance for coastal erosion in New Brunswick?

No. Insurance companies refuse to insure properties facing imminent risk from coastal erosion.