With evidence of the devastating May 28 wildfire surrounding them, residents of the Westwood Hills subdivision in Upper Tantallon, N.S., worry about it happening again.
Knowing there is still essentially only one way in – and out – for the community only adds to that anxiety.
“We don't have a lot of time to wait here,” says Dustin O’Leary, president of the Westwood Hills Residents Association. “I think our concern and the effort that we are taking right now is to push HRM to escalate the timing of this.”
Getting out during the emergency wasn't easy, with a main artery road out of the community blocked by the raging fire at one point.
Now, with charred woods all around amidst the summer heat, residents want that fixed without delay.
“The original timeline for a [city staff] report… [that] appeared was December of this year, which clearly is not acceptable,” he says.
He gathered more than 1,500 signatures on a petition to push the city to work faster.
The area’s municipal councillor, Pam Lovelace, says the city is aware of the urgency.
“And we’re all working as fast as we can because it is imminent. It is going to happen, we just of course can’t say that timeline, I don’t know when,” Lovelace says.
She says bringing all the pieces together — from land ownership and access to construction and engineering — is complicated.
Friday, Lovelace took CTV News to one of the spots being considered as a potential egress point, at the eastern end of the subdivision, nestled at the bottom of Wyndham Drive at Hemlock Drive.
At the end of a gravel, municipal cul-de-sac is a rough road literally hewn out of the woods.
“This over here,” gestures Lovelace, “is the fire road that firefighters busted out, in order to be able to get into the woods and then open up that road for equipment and firefighters to get through safely.”
“This goes deep into the woods and almost reaches Pockwock Road,” she explains.
Lovelace says the road could potentially be finished to connect onto Pockwock, which leads to Hammonds Plains Road.
“At the end of the day, we want to look at as many options as possible, and since this road has already been busted out, certainly discussing that with the private property owners, the community, ensuring this is going to be viable for all of those vested interests to have access to egress.”
“Obviously we want to have the shortest and fastest route possible so that as many people in Westwood Hills can get out if needed,” she adds.
“There are more options on the western end as well, to connect to Highway 103,” she says.
Last month, Westwood resident Nick Horne pointed out another possible exit route — at the dead end of Wright Lake run, where a bridge once crossed part of the lake onto provincial Crown land.
Lovelace has said that site is complex, as Nova Scotia Power owns the land immediately after the waterway.
Friday, a spokesperson with the utility told CTV News NSP is open to considering the use of its land as an emergency evacuation route.
“We are more than willing to work with stakeholders and residents in the Tantallon area to discuss the possibility of access or easements on our land where there is a need and support from the community,” writes Jacqueline Foster in an email.
“We have recently met with the local HRM councillor and indicated we are open to further conversations to help find a solution,” she adds.
During the local state of emergency last month, the city used its temporary powers to quickly build exit routes out of two other affected neighbourhoods: Highland Park and Haliburton Hills.
O'Leary argues the same could happen in Westwood, and would like to see another exit done before summer ends.
“Find a way to do it,” he says, “because you've got some really good community members here who are nervous, and rightfully so.”
