“Stop the Sale, Save Owls Head” has been a rallying cry across Nova Scotia for almost two years now. We’ve stopped the sale, but we haven’t saved Owls Head just yet. So what does that mean, and where do we go from here?
Lighthouse Links Development Co. withdrew after almost two years of fierce public opposition. Owls Head Provincial Park will not be blown up and ground into sand to make golf courses —phew! But Owls Head Provincial Park won’t truly be safe until it’s legally protected.
At the beginning of the year, nearly half of Nova Scotia’s “provincial parks” weren’t actually designated (legally protected).
Now, there are approximately 125 provincial parks, nature reserves, and wilderness areas still awaiting designation across Nova Scotia.
By secretly delisting Owls Head Provincial Park, the Liberal government undermined the integrity of established protected areas systems and jeopardized the future of parks and protected areas in Nova Scotia.
Until Owls Head Provincial Park is restored to Our Parks and Protected Areas Plan & legally protected, a dangerous precedent will remain— not only for the 125 provincial parks, nature reserves, and wilderness areas that are awaiting legal protection now, but also for any such properties that could be awaiting designation in the future.
What the government decides about Owls Head Provincial Park today could help guide the course of our province for years to come. Let’s ensure that we’re on the right side of history.
Lindsay Lee
