Tantramar

Tantramar historic dike system an engineering masterpiece, historian says

Tantramar historic dike system an engineering masterpiece, historian says

Driving along the back roads of the Tantramar marsh on the border of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, you can witness a vast expanse of grass and farmland — but that wasn't always the case. The only reason that area of the Isthmus of Chignecto looks the way it does is because of an engineering marvel that dates back almost 400 years to the 1630s. James Upham, a Moncton historian and educator, says the dikes and aboiteaux built by the Acadians are what made the roads, railways and communities along the marsh possible.

This N.B. town has had chronic flooding problems. A solution is finally getting closer

This N.B. town has had chronic flooding problems. A solution is finally getting closer

A years-long effort to address chronic flooding in Tantramar is a step closer to completion. The southeastern New Brunswick town, which includes Sackville, started work on a multi-phase flood mitigation project in 2017. It involves upgraded drainage systems, a series of holding ponds and an upgraded aboiteau that discharges the water into the tidal Tantramar River. The aboiteau allows water to go out, but not flow back in.