N.S. land protection should extend to scuttling West Mabou golf course idea: Ecology Action Centre

Francis Campbell Saltwire - Dec.13, 2022

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The ocean off West Mabou beach that extends into a provincial park. - Francis Campbell

Environment Minister Tim Halman and two cabinet colleagues who represent the Sackville area trumpeted the Progressive Conservative government’s commitment to protecting land at an announcement Monday.

Raymond Plourde of the Ecology Action Centre says that commitment is severely undermined by the Tim Houston-led Nova Scotia government’s reluctance to expeditiously quash any ideas of Cabot Cape Breton developing a private golf course on protected park land at West Mabou beach.

“I doubt if the ministers who made this announcement today are doing it with the intention that some future government might undo what they have done,” Plourde said of Monday’s announcement to designate 9,300 hectares of Crown land, including 800 hectares in the newly designated Sackville River Wilderness Area, for the benefit of Nova Scotians and the environment.

“When they stood at the podium today, they spoke about protecting these lands forever,” said Plourde, wilderness co-ordinator with EAC, an environmental charity based in Halifax.

“That’s what happened over 20 years ago at the West Mabou Beach provincial park and I’m sure that when the Hamm government designated that park almost 21 years ago, they did not do it with the notion that another government would undo it for the pleasure of an American billionaire golf course developer.

“These areas are supposed to be protected in perpetuity for future generations, both human and otherwise, and they need to remain that way.”

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