Inverness County council staying neutral on West Mabou Beach golf proposal
- savewestmaboubeach
- Jan 27, 2023
- 2 min read
Tom Ayers CBC News - Jan.27, 2023 Full article published here
2 councillors oppose Cabot Cape Breton golf in provincial park, but council avoids official stance
Two Inverness County councillors say they are opposed to a proposed golf course development at West Mabou Beach Provincial Park, but municipal council is not taking a position for now.
It was standing-room only in the council chamber on Thursday when Nadine Hunt got up to ask council to support the West Mabou Beach Committee's opposition to the proposal. There was a standing ovation when she was done.
"It's a protected provincial park and it's a natural environment park and it just is too important to let go as a golf course," she said in an interview after the meeting.
... Father Bernie MacDonald, a Catholic priest who said he's the seventh generation of settlers in the area, said allowing a golf course development in a provincial park could have unintended consequences.
"If this thing goes through, we are setting up a precedent, which is going to damage every provincial park, not only in the province but in the country," he said.
Coun. John MacLennan agreed, saying that protected properties need to remain protected.
"We can't let that go," he said. "There's very few of them in the province and if we start letting that go, what's going to take place?"
Coun. Lynn Chisholm, whose district includes the beach, said she's not in favour of the West Mabou Beach proposal.
"Industry is great," she said. "I'm all for it. You can have a golf course, but have it somewhere else."
Inverness Warden Bonny MacIsaac said council is not ready to vote because there is no formal proposal yet.
Read the full article here.