Provincial parks being developed

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Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00

Written by editor

PAOV — Only 5% of Nova Scotia coastline is protected public land. West Mabou Beach Provincial Park on Cape Breton Island is designated as protected, but is in danger of being developed into a 18-hole golf course. This area is a priority ecosystem for conservation, and home to endangered and threatened birds and rare species of plants. Community members are speaking out to save this public land that is meant to be protected, from becoming a private golf club. Sign now to stand with them.

5,775 have signed Protect West Mabou Beach’s petition.... Let’s get to 7,500!

Protected should mean protected. End of story.

And yet, the Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links golf course developer is once again trying to develop West Mabou Beach Provincial Park into a private 18-hole golf course. This legally protected and ecologically sensitive area is part of the merefive percent of Nova Scotian coastline that is protected public land. We, and future generations of Mabou residents, cannot afford to lose it to private development.

In 2018, the department found that parts of the park were "a priority ecosystem for conservation" and noted the park was home to endangered and threatened bird species and rare plants. The triangle-shaped park is about 215 hectares and includes a two-kilometre sandy beach along one side, and home to sensitive ecosystems of a sand dune system and a salt marsh as well as an estuary and trail networks. In developing this land, the negative impact on the local biological systems will be far reaching and unprecedented in the region.

Please sign the petition to urge local government officials to JUST SAY NO! to leasing West Mabou Provincial Park as a golf course.

There is plenty of private coastline that Cabot can buy to make their golf course. This is a democratic issue. West Mabou Beach Park is public land, it belongs to the people, and is protected through legislation to save crucial ecosystems and ensure access for everyone living in Nova Scotia. Cabot can pay locals market value for the land and still make contributions to the local economy, as any developer should. If they want to build a golf course, then they can do it on private land and leave our ecologically crucial provincial parks alone!

(photo credit: Gabe MacDonald)

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