Media Releases and Opportunities

Researchers at Dalhousie University are exploring questions around public access to Nova Scotia's coastline in a new podcast that looks at the increasing private ownership of the province's coastline.

Dr. Hannah Harrison, an assistant professor in Dalhousie's Marine Affairs Program, along with science and conservation photographer-filmmaker and Dalhousie alumni Nicolas Winkler, are the hosts of Right of Way. The 12 or so episodes are funded by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society through an Independent Research Grant, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through an Explore Grant.

The weekly podcast, which is being released on June 23, starts with a look at signs many Nova Scotians are seeing more often in coastal areas: No Trespassing. Private Road. No Parking. Canadians going to the shore are encountering physical barriers to the beach, few options to park or use public transportation to get to the coast, and garbage in the areas they can access. At the same time, coastal property owners are worried about their privacy and damage to property when the public pursues access over their land.

In Nova Scotia, we have a right to be on the coastline below the highwater mark, but no protected right to get there. But should we?

Right of Way examines the issue of coastal access through the stories of property owners, communities, scientists, policy makers, environmental activists, surfers, hikers and more.

Project website: https://www.coastalaccessproject.com/

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca

About Dr. Hannah Harrison

Dr. Hannah Harrison is a human dimensions researcher who studies human-environmental relationships, particularly around marine and coastal issues. Her research uses storytelling methods, such as podcasts and film, to help explain complex issues, such as coastal access. She is an assistant professor in the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University.
Website: www.hannahharrison.ca

About Nicolas Winkler

Nicolas Winkler Nicolas is a conservation storyteller, specializing in creating impactful editorial, natural history and scientific storytelling visuals for research, academic, non-profit and production sectors. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed scientific literature, annual reports, national and international publications and television. He is inspired to understand the rapidly changing landscapes and seascapes of Nova Scotia by his own experiences as a diver, as well as the stories emerging from coastal communities across the province.
Website: www.nicolaswinkler.com