“He [Premier Rankin] has argued that he sees a way for golf courses and environmental protection to work hand in hand. That’s a bit tricky in this case. For anybody who is familiar with this land and has been out to see it, it’s hard to imagine a golf development without the land being basically carpet-bombed to make it appropriate for that type of a development.”
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Maritime Noon
CBC Radio
March 17, 2021
Topic: How to Make Rural Communities and Small Towns Better Places to Live
Listen on CBC Radio’s Website>
Peter Barss: Hi. I have two points to make, and they’re related. One is, I don’t believe that the preservation of our environment is at the top of the list of the government. The perfect example is Owls Head.
“I think it is really important that we listen to the community. There is an engagement plan that I don’t believe has been submitted yet by the proponent. I am really recommending they get going with that. And that does need to be approved by government, so that it is truly objective and hears all views.”
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CBC’s Michael Gorman interviews Margaret Stevens, Seldon Keating, and Ronnie McKay, local residents that live near the proposed golf course development at Owls Head Park. Then, Michael Gorman hears from NDP Leader Gary Burrill about the Owls Head Act. We have transcribed some of the questions and answers below. You can listen to the whole interview here.
March 3, 2020
CBC Radio
Information Morning
CBC Radio
Mainstreet Nova Scotia
February 12, 2020
Not only seagrasses the only type of plants that flower underwater, but they could be the oldest known organisms on our planet. “The value generated by seagrass is among the highest of any habitat in the world,” explains Worm. The ecosystem services provided by seagrass meadows (such as nursery habitat, spawning habitat, and carbon sequestration) are so valuable that they are valued “in excess of $20,000 per hectare, per year.”
In terms of Owls Head Park Reserve, Worm says”[w]hen we think about doing something to that protected land it’s not just about the land, it’s also very strongly connected to the underwater habitat nearby” which could be “very harmful for the seagrass that lives there.”
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On Jan. 24, 2020, two concerned citizens called into CBC’s Maritime Noon (radio program) to discuss the delisting and possible sale of Owls Head Park.
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Piping plover photo by Jason Dain
CBC Radio
Information Morning
January 10, 2020
The “globally rare” ecosystem on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore was quietly removed from the provincial government’s protected parks plan. Karen McKendry, Wilderness Outreach Coordinator at Ecology Action Centre, spoke with host Portia Clark. We also heard from Environment Minister Gordon Wilson.
Karen McKendry from the Ecology Action Centre understands that “people are concerned both about the process and the particular piece of Crown land.” Indeed, there has been strong public opposition to the delisting of the property, which was done in a secretive way. Citizens are also concerned that the ecological values of the site aren’t being protected by the provincial government.
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