Nova Scotia man says work at dumping site behind home is aggravating his MS

A Nova Scotia man says work at a construction dumping site behind his home — and the noise and vibrations that come along with it — has been debilitating because of his multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Jesse MacDonald and his family moved into their home in Lunenburg, N.S., in 2024, thinking it would be the refuge needed for his health.

The 45-year-old was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) eight years ago and being in a quiet home was a medical necessity to keep his symptoms from worsening.

“I’ve worked really hard to maintain sort of a baseline for my health,” he told Global News.

But in early January, construction began on a new long-term care facility in town and the land near MacDonald’s home became one of several dumping sites.

“We can predict the path of him entering into an MS flare. So we knew on the first day this was not good,” his partner, Lyndsay Hiltz, said.

“He already couldn’t go in the car. So, we couldn’t even leave, like on the first day, we were trapped here. And it’s just gotten worse since then.”

She said the noise and vibrations at their home is constant. The stress, she said, can cause flare-ups that are hard to recover from.

“MS is very different for everybody, but for him in particular, every time that he enters a flare, whether it be mild or really severe like this one, that’s just a relapse of his symptoms,” she said.

“So his disability progresses further every single time. For him, it tends to be his leg use. So he now can barely walk, he falls all the time, like even just to walk from his chair to the bathroom.”

A report in a letter from Nova Scotia Health, which MacDonald shared with Global News, said his heightened startle response is “incapacitating when exposed to loud noises and vibrations.”

The analysis stated it can take months for him to recover, and added that he can’t escape from the environment because being in a car only aggravates his symptoms further.

In addition, MacDonald said his cognitive ability is declining.

“I’m sorry. I have a really hard time putting thoughts together,” he said.

Hiltz said she was assured by Atlantic Road Construction — the company handling the landfill removal — that the family would be notified before any hydraulic jacking or road rolling.

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However, she said this hasn’t happened and she hasn’t heard from the company since Jan. 20.

“It’s just been constant road work with the road roller, which vibrates our home so much. And then the jacking behind has been happening intermittently as well. We’re not given any notice,” she said.

In a statement, the president of Atlantic Road Construction, Brad Hickey, said the company is listening and adapting its operations.

“We will continue to work with all involved parties and try to accommodate everyone as best as possible,” he wrote.

“We are working to balance the needs and rights of all parties involved. We are listening and adapting our operations.”

But Hiltz said there’s been no change to the constant noise and vibrations, and she’s worried about the long-term impact.

“We are concerned that this has caused enough damage to his legs, like he is going to need a walking aid at this point,” she said.

The family is hoping the construction company will consider relocating the dumping site. Hiltz has sent letters to public officials detailing the harm they believe the noise is causing, but feels like no one is coming to their aid.

“We’re trapped in this little box where we’re not able to help ourselves and that’s just really, really depressing,” Hiltz said.

The couple said they plan to file an application to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in hopes a judge will order a temporary pause on the site.