Concerns about a proposed golf course on a provincial park in Cape Breaton.
A local company is proposing an 18-hole development, for the second time since 2023 on West Mabou Beach.
According to the NSNDP, Minister Tim Halman backtracked on the government’s original position by not shutting the idea down.
The Department of Natural Resources says in an email to our newsroom, they are open to new ideas from Nova Scotia companies.
“We support economic development. We support job creators. If a company wants to explore new opportunities that could lead to good jobs and other investments in our communities, we think that’s great and we will hear them out.”
The official opposition leader Claudia Chender says, “Instead of explaining how they’re going to meet the target for protected land, this government is sending a clear signal that not even protected provincial parks are off limits for corporate interests, once again proving that communities and coastlines are not a priority.”
She says the government is supposed to protect more land, create jobs, and support communities, not sacrifice protected areas.
Legally, the provincial government is legislated to protect 15 per cent of Nova Scotian’s land and water masses by the end of March 2026.
The federal government gave the province $25 million as part of The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement which helps with obligatory protection and conservation.
It appears some of this funding may be left on the table and Halman couldn’t provide information on if the Nova Scotia government would meet the target plans for the remaining $12.5 million of the federal given money that must be spent by March.
Local resident and community advocate Kate Beaton says, “If this government can destroy a protected provincial park by handing it over to billionaire golf developers who are too cheap to buy private land, then anywhere in Nova Scotia is up for grabs. The only special interest groups here are corporate ones who are in it for themselves.”
According to a social media post, MLA for Inverness Kyle MacQuarrie says many have reached out to him on the matter, but no decisions have been made.
MacQuarrie welcomes the public’s valuable feedback.
