Letter to the Editor
The Chronicle Herald
Contributed by Lindsay Lee
July 31, 2021
Originally published here
In a province now dotted with yard signs, there’s one in particular that the Liberal party should take heed of: “Stop the Gov’t Sale, Save Owls Head Provincial Park.”
Premier Iain Rankin is portraying himself as the candidate who will tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. But during his tenure as minister of Lands and Forestry, he endorsed a clandestine deal: offering to sell a biodiverse park to an American developer, who plans to grind it into sand (seriously).
In an election where the environment is a key issue, this untenable position could be the premier’s downfall. The citizens and scientists in the grassroots “Save Owls Head” movement have been extraordinary.
But it’s the Liberal government itself that inadvertently made this an election issue. Elected officials whom we chose to represent us orchestrated three years of secrecy to benefit an American billionaire. I’m very disappointed that the Liberal party (to which I belong) is digging in its heels rather than becoming a true environmental leader.
The result? The government has lost the trust of citizens across the province. In communities all across Nova Scotia, parks awaiting designation are now in jeopardy due to the government’s decision to treat park reserves like an à la carte menu for developers.
Polls don’t decide elections; people do. It’s not too late to rectify this situation, but it soon will be. My vote — and many others across the province — depends on it.
Lindsay Lee